by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

In case you hadn't noticed, it's Springtime here in Wisconsin. Heck, it might even be summer with some of the temperatures we've seen. A welcome relief after a long, harsh winter. And with spring comes the ideal time to take up that exterior or interior paint project for your home.

Here are a couple of reasons why it's good to paint right now.

Late Spring = Less Moisture

That's right. In comparison to early Spring, late Spring features less rain showers and moisture. If too much moisture permeates the air in the form of humidity or rainfall, it will invariably lead to paint failure. The paint can flake, peel and blister, amongst other things. Exterior painting can occasionally be problematic in the summer. If it's humid for three or four days, that's also not ideal for painting. (Summer painting is, however, a great time for exteriors.) Too much heat and direct sunlight, on the other hand, can cause paint failure as wel. The paint will dry too fast, impairing proper paint formation. So, I always encourage my customers to paint right now and avoid those potential problems.

More Daylight

Daylight is critical for the paint drying process. The longer days of late Spring are therefore perfect for painting the exterior of your home. The more daylight, the faster the paint dries, assuring better adhesion and protection. And your home will look great as a result.

Prepare for Summer

If you're like me, you like to get exterior construction, remodeling and paint projects out of the way before the dog days of summer hit. For instance, I inspect my pool deck every spring, looking for any possible problem areas that need fixing. If the stain needs some touch-up work, then I'll do it. And then every few years I'll restain the wood to really make the deck pop, which also allows it to endur the beating that our nephews, niece, and their friends visit upon it each summer.

Interiors

Another tip is that in the late Spring, it's still a bit cool. Come summer, it won't be. With interiors it's always a good idea to open windows, unless you're using Low or Zero-VOC and odorless paints. You can do this much more comfortably in the late Spring than in the dead of summer.

For more reasons to undertake paint projects in the Spring, check out this blog.

If you have any other questions about how to tackle residential exterior or interior project, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

On occasion, both returning and potential new commercial and industrial customers ask, "What is sponge blasting?" or "How does sponge blasting work?". When the subject of abrasive blasting methods comes up, one could be excused for thinking that sponge wouldn't be the ideal media for the job. But, it couldn't be further from the truth. 

What Is Sponge Blasting & How Does It Work?

As I tell my customers, Sponge Blasting is an abrasive blasting technology, in which a high-pressure system expels sponge media at high speeds onto a surface. Sponge Blasting can be used to remove paint and contaminants, profile substrates and even to pull off rather delicate cleaning jobs. Sponge media's versatility is a big reason why Lakeside Painting is using the technology more and more for commercial and industrial projects. 

As SpongeJet—a sponge media system manufacturer—notes on its website: “[Sponge media] combines the containment capability of urethane sponge and the cleaning and cutting power of conventional abrasives.”

Sponge Blasting is an efficient and highly effective abrasive paint removal system that is less intrusive on your facility. This approach to removal can save your company money and time. 

Environmentally-Friendly

A big upside to Sponge Media, and one that pleases both Lakeside and our customers, is that it's eco-friendly. Up to 95% of Sponge Media is recycled and resused. Recyclers collect and process blasted sponge media through an “electrically or pneumatically powered classifier,” which separates reusable sponge abrasives from debris, as well as from spent media and contaminants (rust, mold, etc.).

I also tell my customers that using Sponge Media means lower fugitive emissions; which means, of course, less pollution and waste. I have my painters often use it to remove lead-based paint from surfaces. Lead paint removal requires proper disposal, which can be expensive because the process is based on weight. Sponge media is reused between 5 and 8 times, cutting down on the amount of disposal.

Read more about the technology at our Sponge Blasting service page and check out SpongeJet's instructional video below. 

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc. 

One of my main concerns right now as a painting contractor and business owner is the safe driving of my employees. We tend to take this for granted, only reminded of driving habits when an accident occurs, or a near accident. The fact is that safe driving should be a concern day-in and day-out. Statistically, driving to and from work is the most dangerous thing we do on a daily basis. The construction industry is a dangerous place to work, so those statistics are telling. 

Below are some of the things I'm telling my painters. 

Stay Off The Phone

This may sound counter-intuitive to the way the world works now, even as states are enacting no cell phones while driving laws left and right. But is a pressing business concern so important that we should risk the lives of our employees and other drivers on the road? No. So don't text or carry on conversations over the phone while on the road. This keeps everybody safer. A bonus is that you eliminate the risk of getting caught talking on the phone by police. Avoiding those tickets will help keep the insurace costs low. 

Don't Speed

This is just common sense. At best, speeding will get a driver to his destination a few minutes ahead of schedule. It's not worth the risk to lives, vehicles or equipment, so don't do it. 

Avoid All Distractions

I'm telling my guys not to eat food, mess with MP3 players or radios, or looks for things on the floor or seats while driving. All of that is a recipe for an accident, even though the probability isn't great. Yes, I sound like a driving instructor, but eyes must remain on the road and regularly checking the mirrors. With all of the equipment, materials and chemicals painting contractor vehicles contains, accidents can be made much worse by distracted drivers. 

Don't Drive Tired

The best way to prevent driving while tired is to get some sleep the night, days and weeks before. Be refreshed when you hop in the van, truck or car. If, while driving, you start feeling tired, pull over, rest for a bit until you're alert and get some coffee if you can. If you have a passenger who is an employee in the van with you, let them drive. 

Don't Follow Other Vehicles Too Closely

Again, this is old school driver's safety instruction, but it is sound advice. The further back a driver is to the vehicle in front, the lower the chances that an accident will occur should the car in front suddenly break. This isn't NASCAR—no drafting. 

Other Tips

Watch what is happening on the road. If you see a reckless driver making a lane change in front of you, slow down a bit. Wear your seatbelt. Keep an eye on weather reports. A driver who knows a snow or thunderstorm is hitting Wisconsin is better equipped to handle the conditions than someone ignorant of a weather shift. Know when the roads are wet or icy, and drive slower in heavy rain, fog and snow. Again, common sense, but it needs to be restated. 

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

Electrostatic painting is a high-tech method of painting metal surfaces and objects. It involves the spraying of electrically-charged paint at a metal object or surface with the opposite charge. The big upside of Electrostatic Painting is its 98% efficiency of coating-to-object, compared to traditional paints' 70% efficiency. It's also cost-effective. You won't have to replace metal objects and surfaces because Electrostatic Paint's even application makes it look like-new. 

Here are a few surfaces on which I recommend using Electrostatic Paint. 

Metal Doors

At Lakeside, we do a lot of work with metal doors, especially for commercial and industrial clients. It could be for large factory doors or the kitchen doors of a hotel or resort. Whatever the case, we've had great success with Electrostatic Paint, and often recommend it to our customers. It can be applied on or off-site, depending on the customer's needs or our recommendation.

Ornate Steel Railings

One doesn't regularly see ornate steel railings, save for resorts or high-end residential projects; but this is surface on which a painting contractor will typically use Electrostatic Paint. And, of course, the attraction between the oppositely-charged paint and steel means that it's a far cleaner and more efficient alternative than other spray methods, and much faster than brushing (which will leave a brushed look). 

Toilet Partitions

Many commercial and industrial buildings will have at least one but possibly many bathroom facilities. And in these bathrooms will be several metal toilet partitions. Electrostatic Paint is commonly used on these surfaces, whether it's new construction or an existing paint project. 

Factory Equipment

Lakeside regularly uses Electrostatic Paint on factory equipment in the Wisconsin and Northern Illinois areas. It's ideal because it might be impossible or logistically difficult to move equipment, though overspray will then become a concern. Electrostatic's 98% coating-to-surface efficiency means less overspray and quicker turn-around times.

Our Electrostatic Painting service page has more detailed information if you're considering it for your next residential, commercial or industrial paint project. 

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

For painting industry professionals, especially those contractors working in the commercial and industrial markets, encounters with concrete block exteriors are frequent. Here are three things to know for your new or old concrete block exterior project. 

Inspect the Concrete

This is common sense, but it needs to be restated: before cleaning and painting any concrete block exterior, inspect the wall for cracks. This helps in controlling moisture and ensuring a long-lasting paint finish. It will also help preserve the facility's structural integrity and wall stability. Moisture, thermal expansion, foundation settlment and bad support can all lead to cracking. Look for settlement cracks near the floor of the building—they will appear diagonal or stair-stepped. Seal any small cracks and have a structural engineer inspect anything that looks structurally unstable or suspicious. 

Repair all mortar joints (spaces between concrete blocks) that are in ned of it, as well as any type of holes or gouges in the block. Head over to our Concrete Block service page for a more detailed list of things to look for. 

Cleaning Concrete Block

Before painting, existing concrete block exteriors will need to undergo high-pressure washing to remove a combination of dust, rust, dirt and failing paint form the surface. After cleaning, loose mortar and cracks will need to be tuck-pointed. 

Painting Concrete Block

The type of concrete block will determine the painting method required. Smooth block requires less paint, while split-face textured block, which is rougher (almost like gravel), will demand that the painter really work the paint into the surface. It will typically require 2x as much primer and paint than smooth block in order to fill the porous surface.

Lakeside Painting uses 100% acrylic coating. It is longer lasting than oil paints. At Lakeside, we use a sprayer to apply the coatings, then back-roll and/or brush the paint into the masonry surface. The back-rolling and/or brushing is essential, as it will prevent a pinhole surface, which practically beckons moisture to intrude and make the paint fail. 

For any other questions on Concrete Block Exteriors, give Lakeside a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

Sick of carpeted floors, or perhaps you have a nice city loft with concrete walls you've been thinking of highlighting with a modern, hip look? Below are a few ideas I've compiled so that you can make concrete not just a structural component to a home or commercial building, but an aesthetic effect in and of itself. 

Color

Most people, especially homeowners or commercial businesses, don't think about painting concrete. Well, I've seen it look pretty fantastic, especially in new construction for homes and commercial spaces. Sherwin-Williams has a line of coatings made specifically for concrete called H&C. That line of paints has a variety of colors and looks that would work well for home and business. These paints can also be used on walls.

Epoxy Floor Coating

Lakeside Painting uses Epoxy Floor Coatings quite often for commercial and industrial customers, from Auto Dealer showroom floors and manufacturing palnts to food processing facilities and warehouses. But, Epoxy Floor Coatings can also be used to give that lofted apartment or condo a fantastically modern look. It looks sleek, it's easy to clean, and it seals the floor against moisture and contaminants. Epoxy can also be applied to walls, giving them that sharp, gleaming look.

Acid Stain

Acid Stains have long been a favorite of designers and painters. The stains are made of acid-based chemicals that lighty etch the concrete surface, creating looks that resemble anything from stone and wood to marble or leather. If you also have concrete walls, an acid stain look would be an attractive option.

If you want to discuss how to create a decorative look for your home or businesses concrete walls or floors, call Lakeside Painting at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

One of the more common commercial and industrial services is graffiti removal and the repainting of walls. It may not be much of a problem in rural areas, but in cities like Milwaukee, Madison, Racine and Waukesha, to name a few, it can be a big nuisance. It's unsightly and costs money to fix, and is in all other ways unpleasant; especially for businesses who are active and positive forces in their communities. It's always a good idea to have a facilities manager inspect the building's exterior for graffiti, as the sooner the paint is removed (after application) the easier it will be to remove in most case.

Here's what Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois businesses need to know when it comes to removing graffiti and repainting exteriors. 

Removing Graffiti on Concrete Block & Metal

With both concrete block and metal exteriors, a high pressure commercial power washer will work just fine. In some cases solvent washing, which will attack the paint, might be required. The key is to not damage the walls. Alternatively, a Urethane clear coat will prevent graffiti tags from sticking. A power wash or solvent wash can then be used for additional cleaning. Sacrificial coatings (also clear coats) can be applied to building exteriors. A power washer can then remove the sacrificial coating along with the tag. This means that a new sacrificial coating will have to be applied. 

We've also heard of a Silicon-based product, somewhat like urethane, out of Canada. Apparently the beauty of the product is that no solvents are required (just pressure washing) and it comes in colors that are flat, but also in clear coat. We haven't tried it yet, but plan to do so in the near future for our commercial and industrial clients. An added bonus is that it is supposed to only attack the tag paint. 

Brick and Lannon Stone

The costliest graffiti is that which is applied to brick and lannon stone buildings.

Lannon stone, in particular, is used a lot in Waukesha Municipal buildings and in Wisconsin buildings and churches, general. (Lannon stone comes from Lannon, Wisconsin.) When this graffiti gets on brick or lannon stone it's a big, expansive problem, and hard to remove—sandblasting is usually required. Clear Urethane, Sacrificial and Silicon-based coats can be applied as a preventive measure, but facilities manager should know that this will change the appearance of the brick or lannon stone.

Don't Let the Graffiti Stay — Remove Immediately

What I've heard from many Wisconsin facilities managers is that the most cost-effective way to stop graffitos is to paint exteriors with standard paint. The moment an exterior is tagged—the very next day—paint over it with that standard paint. It frustrates the tagger and they will more than likely move on to a place that isn't as pro-active in removing and painting over the graffiti. 

If you have any other questions abour removing graffiti, give Lakeside a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting

With Spring comes a number of interior and exterior painting projects for residential, commercial and industrial structures. I've taken the liberty of listing 5 spring painting projects for home and business, just to give you an idea what to do if you're rudderless. 

1. Look For Cracks in Concrete

As anyone in the Midwest, particularly Wisconsin, will tell you, the winter elements are not kind to structures, be it home or business. I like to keep an eye on my building and home year-round, but the Spring is an ideal opportunity to appraise the damage of a Wisconsin winter. If any moisture was able to invade concrete block exteriors, the freezing temperatures will have caused ice to form and expand hairline cracks to larger issues. Just look at sidewalks and roads after winter—the same holds true for homes and buildings. 

Stair-Step Cracking, or simply Stair Cracking, typically occurs in concrete or brick basement walls. Those cracks will need to be grinded and caulked. If the damage is more considerable, masonry control joint removal and replacement may be necesssary, especially in larger commercial and industrial buildings. Tuckpointing—the application of new mortar to brick—is another option depending on the degree of damage. A professional painting contractor should be able to assess this damage and make the required repairs. 

2. Refinish Your Deck

Concrete and brick aren't the only victims of a harsh winter. Have a look at your deck when spring arrives—you'll be surprised at what you find. Wood may require some light carpentry repair, and the current stain may need to be removed and a fresh new coat applied. Be sure to survey the entire deck to make sure structural integrity is solid. 

3. Paint the Exterior

A particularly harsh winter might necessitate a new coat of exterior paint. Just as in concrete and brick, if any hairline cracks exist in the acrylic or elastomeric paint on home or building, then freezing temperatures will exploit it, making for an unsightly appearance and threatening the structural integrity. A good paint job will last several years, but a bad one won't make it through an intense Midwestern winter. 

4. Get Some Light Carpentry Repair Done

As noted above, light carpentry repairs might be necessary come Springtime. Survey decks, fences, wood siding and any other wooden surface to see if any repairs will be necessary. If you have the benefit of great past carpentry and painting, then repair should be minimal. If the carpentry and painting are slapdash, however, you will possibly have more work than expected. For my own home and business I see an exterior area that needs light carpentry repair, I don't wait, as the problem will only grow worse and lead to more costs down the line. 

5. Waterproofing is Key

Spring is the ideal time to waterproof a home. Spring showers and summer storms can be big problems for homes and buildings weakened by winter elements. If there are any cracks in concrete, wood, roofs or any other building materials, rain will invade the home, causing even more damage. No home or business owner needs that sort of headache. 

Taking care of waterproofing in early Spring also prepares building owners for the coming winter. See the pattern emerging? 

Joe

As a craft and industry, painting is about the details as much as it is about preparation and communication. The best painters are obsessive about the level of detail in any given job. As craftsman we want to do a great work, not simply create something that is just good enough. Never settle for middling.

We could just chalk this all up to a desire for customer satisfaction, but it is more than that.

When I first picked up a paint brush—which was forty years ago as a teenage boy—my artistic impulse surfaced. I wasn't interested in simply slapping a coat of paint on a wall and moving on, but in getting the perfect brush stroke. I wanted to cut in along trim, moulding or windows such that when the customer looked, they'd admire the steady hand. But I had to first admire the work of that steady, artful hand myself. I had to be proud of the detail.

This love of detail made its way to my 30+ years of work with Lakeside Painting and has trickled down to my painters. But as they are great painters themselves, they don't really need to be reminded—the details are already on their minds. They work for us because they share the value of fine detail.

Detail cuts across the smallest residential job to the largest industrial project, from staining a home's deck to spraying the interior of an important regional industrial business.

There are no exceptions. I will always be a stickler for the details.

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc. 

You're standing in your yard and notice that your home's vinyl siding is warped and ugly. What to do? Well, there are a few courses of action. If you're the DIY-type, you can attempt to fix the problem yourself. That will require a lot of time and effort, and if you screw it up, quite a bit more money than you'd expect. Or you can call a paint professional. Either way, here is what needs to happen. But first a brief explation of the science behind vinyl warping and buckling.

Causes of Vinyl Warping

There are a number of causes of vinyl warping and buckling, but in Wisconsin Lakeside Painting sees a lot of damage from extreme weather conditions. Over time Wisconsin's cold weather will cause the vinyl warp and buckle, making it brittle in the process. Intense summer heat can also damage the vinyl siding to the point that it will need to be replaced. Other causes include the vinyl's age, improper installation and dark colors, which absorb sunlight, heating the vinyl until it warps. It could also be from your neighbors' energy-efficient windows, which can create incredible amounts of heat in the areas surrounding the glass. 

Replacing Vinyl Siding

Once vinyl siding has undergone buckling and warping, it will have to be replaced. Once that has been done, Lakeside Painting recommends an exterior paint color that will not retain heat in the summer, which (as noted above) will increase the chances of warping and buckling in the future. This will save homeowners money in the long run. 

It's probably not the best idea to remove the vinlyl siding yourself, so seek professional advice if you see these effects on your home's exterior. And if you have any other questions on vinyl siding, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at: info@lakesidepainting.com.

Joe

Lakeside Painting President Joe Pangburn will be exhibiting at the PMFA 2013 being held at the Wisconsin Exposition Center at State Fair Park, West Allis. The Plant Engineering & Maintenance Expo, organized by the Plant & Facilities Maintenance Association (PFMA), is being held Wednesday (Feb 27) and Thursday (Feb 28).

Joe will have a booth set up to discuss painting and abrasive cleaning methods for industrial and commercial attendees. He will also be demoing Sponge Blasting, an abrasive removal/cleaning system that is highly-efficient, clean, recyclable and environmentally-friendly. 

The Plant Engineering and Maintenance EXPO is the largest trade show in Wisconsin. We're happy to be a part of it. 

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

Every time I drive past a glass exterior building structure, I marvel at what the energy costs must be in the winter. No insolation in that glass, of course. And then in the dog days of summer, the building owners have to crank the air conditioning. One way around this problem is new energy-efficient or "high efficiency" glass. But there's a drawback to this glass, as evidenced by the so-called "death ray" at Las Vegas proporties like The Vdara Hotel & Spa.

The problem is called "solar convergence"—sunlight reflecting off of massive glass exteriors, creating an intensely hot micro-climate in the structure's radius. Local Las Vegas news outlets reported melted plastic drink cups, flip flops and shopping bags over the last several years. The solar convergence effect is enhanced by the Vdara's concave shape, which curves around the hotel's pool deck, channeling the heat in the process. Remember how magnifiying glass can light dry grass or leaves on fire with the sunlight? It's something like that, although fortunately furnishings and objects around the pool aren't combusting.

I can understand the aesthetics of glass exteriors. It looks incredibly modern, futuristic and beautiful, but is it ultimately worth it, especially for buildings in desert climates? As a lifelong painter, perhaps I am biased. But I believe that architecture can look fantastically modern and beautiful with the right design and paint job in place of glass.

And this isnt' just a problem in desert regions. Boston homeowners have found their siding melted by their neighbors' high efficiency glass windows. Just something for building owners to think about when settling on an exterior look, as well as for homeowners whose neighbors are installing high-efficiency windows. 

Joe

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

I was reading Wired magazine this morning and came across a most interesting story. Apparently, aerospace engineer David Hyland of Texas A&M and a team of researchers believe they can repel an asteroid simply by dropping dry powder paint on the asteroid. Here's how it works. 

Asteroids heat up as they absord sunlight, but also give off light. The Yarkovsky Effect, named after a Russian engineer who discovered it in 1902, works by altering the amount of light given off by an asteroid. As an asteroid rotates on its axis, the surface heated by the sun eventually turns toward cold space, radiating "infrared photons," as noted by Hyland in the Wired article. The photons have momentum and act as tiny thrusters, collective pushing the asteroid this way or that over time.

So if scientists could paint an asteroid a lighter or darker color, it would change the amount of radiation absorbed and then effect the photon's collective thrust over time. According to Hyland, it would take years, decades or perhaps event centuries to make this sort of change in an asteroid's orbit.

“The coat of paint would be a very thin, almost like a Saran Wrap layer,” said Hyland. “If we push it in the right direction, we can get the asteroid to cease crossing Earth’s orbit and completely eliminate the threat.”

The dry powder paint would work through electrical charge. Solar wind (charged particles thrown out into space by the Sun) would positively charge an asteroid. A spacecraft could then approach the asteroid and shoot paint particles through what's called a tribocharging gun. In this sort of spray gun (for lack of a better term), the paint particles pass through a narrow tube, rubbing against the inner walls, where they pick up additional electrons. (Remember that electrons are the negatively-charged particles of an atom.) Here's where it really gets neat. When the asteroid spins the painted surface back toward the sun, the particles would melt together, making the surface lighter or darker as needed. 

This reminds me of the inventor Eduardo Gold, who hit on a novel way of saving glaciers in the face of climate change. With an admixture of three environmentally-friendly ingredients—lime, industrial egg-white and water—Gold proposed white-washing mountains with the paint, which would create a micro-climate that would allow the mountains to "grow" glaciers. (Read about it in our blog post on the subject.)

So, yes, we can say that the paint professional can indeed save the world. 

Joe

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

Painters are considered craftsman, or tradesman, like a carpenter. But if you ask painters how they see themselves—especially decorative painters—they will likely say they're artists. Though the bulk of my time is spent running Lakeside Painting, I've always considered myself an artist, from my drawings to my decorative painting experience. And having worked with Lakeside Painting foreman Patrick Boyle for the better part of two decades, I can tell you that he considers himself as much of an artist as a craftsman.

So it's with no small amount of delight that we note that the Art Institute of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory determined that Pablo Picasso, one of 20th century's greatest artists, used "common house paint rather than traditional artists' paint."

"The results published last month in the journal Applied Physics A: Materials Science & Processing add significant weight to the widely held theory that Picasso was one of the first master painters to use common house paint rather than traditional artists' paint," reads a press release published by Argonne National Laboratory. "That switch in painting material gave birth to a new style of art marked by canvasses covered in glossy images with marbling, muted edges, and occasional errant paint drips, but devoid of brush marks. Fast-drying enamel house paint enabled this dramatic departure from the slow-drying, heavily blended oil paintings that dominated the art world up until Picasso’s time."

Argonne used the X-ray nanoprobe, a unique high-energy X-ray instrument, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Photon Source (APS) X-Ray facility and the Center for Nanoscale Materials. It gives scientists an extreme close-up view of "the type and arrangement of chemical elements in material". In this case, Picasso's paint. 

"By comparing decades-old paint samples collected through e-Bay purchases with samples from Picasso paintings, scientists were able to learn that the chemical makeup of paint used by Picasso matched the chemical makeup of the first commercial house paint, Ripolin," states the press release. The scientists determined that Picasso used enamel house paint to create the 1931 painting The Red Armchair, which is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago, just a short trip for Wisconsin residents.

So what's good for Picasso is good for us house and commercial/industrial painters. And another takeaway here is that interior and exterior house paints can really make a home or business look like a work of art. But us painters have know this for a long time. 

Joe

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

At Lakeside Painting, we are often asked by Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois commercial and industrial business customers if we recommend elastomeric paints for their next exterior project. The subtext of the question is clear: is elastomeric paint the right choice for my building? And the short answer is that it depends. I'll elaborate. 

If your business exterior is Portand Lime Stucco, then I would say elastomeric paint would work just fine to bridge any hairline cracks in the stucco. If a top of the line acrylic is used, the stucco's cracks or pores will first have to be sealed with masonry sealer or primer. Aside from stucco, elastomeric paints can be used on brick, split-faced block, concrete or EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing System, a type of exterior wall). Elastomeric's elasticity (hence the name) is advantageous for new paint jobs in that it allows the surface to expand and contract with weather changes. The downside is that elastomeric paint has to be applied up to 10x thicker than acrylic, which can lead to an irregular surface appearance that will need fixing.

Other problems arise as well. Over the years the elastomeric paint builds up on the surface, up to a 1/16" after three coats, and that's too much. At that point elastomeric becomes like rubber. It can't be sandblasted or power-washed. In fact, it's really hard to get off overall, although we're more than happy to do that as a service for our commercial and industrial customers. 

Another problem with elastomeric is that it doesn't always adhere well to the substrate (the exterior surface). And with split-face block, moisture can get behind the elastomeric coating because the porous block presents so many opporunities for penetration. If this happens, the elastomeric fails and sags in incredibly unsightly ways (see the photo above). On top of that, elastomeric paint chalks within a year, since it oxidizes more quickly than acrylic. The chalking changes color, which is the last thing an industrial customer wants after paying for the exterior paint project. Acrylics by comparison start to chalk in four years. Indeed, so many great acrylics are coming out now that elastomeric is less cutting edge—not the be all-end all that it was in the past. And top of the line industrial acrylic paints can be suitable for a number of substrates. 

So at Lakeside Painting, which has three decades of happy commercial and industrial customers, we think that a top of the line acrylic paint is preferable to an elastomeric coating. That said, we are happy to apply elastomeric to a commercial or industrial exterior, as long as our customers are aware of the pros and cons of the paint. And, again, we'll happily remove it for our customers. 

Joe

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting

For those individuals thinking of or already dipping their toes into real estate as an investment (real estate owned—REO—or rental), the first instinct might be to slap some paint on the walls and say, "Voila!" Not so fast. If the walls are in need of paint (chances are they will), a slap-dash paint job will enhance the value about as much as not painting them at all. 

With REO and rental properties, the idea should be to add real, visible value to the home interior and exterior. This goes for the lone investor, bank, real estate agent or investment group alike. And it holds true whether one is renting or selling the property. To do this, a quality paint job is required. The craftsman will trump the novice painter every time. Otherwise you won't be flipping that house or renting that home any time soon; and if you do, it will be for far less than it could potentially be worth. 

Lakeside Painting's done this sort of work in the Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois areas for decades. Indeed, I have invested in homes and resold them, and currently have a rental property. And, without fail, every time the rental property is in search of a new lessee, I have my painters give the home a great paint job. 

If you have any questions on having your REO or rental property painted, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email me at joe@lakesidepainting.com.

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

Pantone is known for selecting any given year's seasonal color trends. Now they're tapping into a whole new color market: beer colors. And how have they done it? With Beertone, a beer color reference guide. 

So how exactly is Beertone relevant to color selection for home and business? Well, it's more relevant than you think. Businesses such as microbrew pubs and gastropubs could make great use of the Beertone color guide, which ranges from glowing yellow to more amber hues. Homeowners could use Beertone to select a color for their entertainment room, especially if it features a bar. And it goes without saying that breweries could use it as well for new and old facilities. 

"The bright beers will start the guide ending with the dark ones," reads the Beertone website. "Each Beer will be presented with picture, description and of course its color Information, RGB, CMYK, Web, SRM (that's the beer color scale). We are shooting each beer, bottle and the beer itself in a glass... Each Beertone owner will be member of the club and will receive special invitations to: Beer Degustations, Release Parties, Discount Coupons and much more."

Beer degustations? Sounds fantastic. For the unitiated, degustations are events for food and drink tasting. Ever gone to a beer or wine tasting? Yes? Then you've degustated. 

The current edition of Beertone is built around the beers of Switzerland. So head over to the Beertone website and check it out. And have a look at our blog "Use Wine Labels to Wallpaper Your Home or Business" for related ideas. 

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.

I just finished reading a National Geographic article entitled "Why Hot Chocolate Looks Better in an Orange Cup," which detailed a new study about how color and appearance can influence our senses. Researchers at Polytechnic University of Valencia and the University of Oxford asked participants to taste cups of hot chocolate and rank them according to taste. As with many studies, there was a trick: all chocolate was the same. But that didn't stop participants from choosing a favorite. A majority of the study's participants chose the hot chocolate in the orange mug as the tastiest. 

This got me thinking about painting (as colors often do). Packaging, color, and presentation in general, all work upon our senses, for better or for worse. A shoddily-painted room in an otherwise wonderful house can project cheapness or disinterest in appearance. Naturally, it can affect the moods of those in it. The same goes for exteriors. But a carefully selected paint or wallpaper, applied with the right craftmanship, can transform that room into something far more elegant and attractive. The aesthetic moves from bland to grand. 

The difference between that hot cocoa jazzed up in an orange mug and a home beautified with paint is marked. A paint job isn't about tricking anyone—not the home or business owner, nor the customers, friends and other guests. It is about revealing the truth that may lie dormant behind an old paint job. 

And unlike that dressed up cup of hot cocoa, a paint job—whether it is modern or rustic-looking—will move our senses, our perceptions, in all the right ways. And that is what we seek to achieve at Lakeside Painting. 

Be Bold

Don't be afraid of going for a vibrant, bold color scheme. Try a deep red or orange if you want a warm, striking color. But if you're living room doubles as an entertainment room, be conscious of the fact that lighter colors (white, light yellows) will create a lot of ambient light, which isn't good for watching TV and films or playing video games. 

Soft Colors and Striking Accents

Instead of bombast in your living room's paint scheme, go soft. Then have some fun with furnishings and decoration. Add a bookcase or a nice wooden desk to compliment your white walls if you're after simplicity and minimalism. A light gray could also work, especially if the space is dressed up with vintage furniture. Soft colors and striking accents are classy and timeless. 

Do Not Fear a Monochromatic Palette 

Complimentary colors are all well and good, but don't be afraid of a monochromatic look for your living room. We here at Lakeside Painting think that rooms outfitted almost completely in one color or neighborly its hues look fantastic. An alternative to a full monochromatic look is to pick a dominant color scheme and accent one wall in another color. 

Go Seasonal

As the season changes, change up your living room's look. If it's summer, bring out summery pillows, candles and other decorative elements. If it's fall, go for a more autumnal look. If you hate winter, keep those summery decorative elements out there!

The point is to experiment and rotate looks. This might require a paint job that is flexible enough to allow for this sort of seasonal rotation. 

If you live in the Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois areas, give Lakeside Painting a call to settle on a look for your living room.

Lakeside Painting has written before about choosing the right eco-friendly paint for your home and business. We've highlighted the Sherwin-Williams Harmony (certified by GreenGuard) and Benjamin Moore Aura or Natura (Greenguard) paints for their color variety and low to zero-VOC quality. Now we'd like to highlight a rather new upstart to the business: YOLO Colorhouse. 

Based in Oregon, YOLO Colorhouse bills itself as "The Environmentally Responsible Paint Company." Further, the company states that its line of paints are "created by artists with nature in mind." As craftsman and artists as well as an environmentally-conscious business, we already like them. But it's not simply for the slogans or green economy positioning: the paint colors are fantastic. 

As the company states, "At YOLO Colorhouse we are proud of what’s NOT in our paint: no mutagens, no hazardous air pollutants, no ozone depleting compounds, no formaldehyde, no phthalates, no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and NO BAD COLORS!" The paints are latex-based paints available in flat, eggshell and semigloss. 

We really like the Sprout Collection, which is a range of pastel colors, perfect for nurseries or more breezy, summery aesthetics whether for home or business. YOLO Colorhouse also has The Earth's Color Collection—colors notable for their earthy hues. They are themed according to Air, Grain, Leaf, Water, Stone, Clay and Petal. Ingenious. Organizing the paints in such a way certainly helps customers decide on an aesthetic. 

As noted in previous blog posts, going eco-friendly with low to zero-VOC paints doesn't just satisfy cultural pressure to go green. It creates a much better atmospheric environment in home, business and on the Earth at large. And this should matter to individuals, families and company employees across the State of Wisconsin and beyond. 

Head over to the YOLO Colorhouse Color Tool to see different looks in a home interior. 

Removing wallpaper can be a tricky job. We here at Lakeside Painting typically like to do this for our customers, whether they're requesting a new paint job or a wallcovering design. There is an art to removing wallpaper and patience is required. The process is roughly as follows. 

Prep the Room, Gather the Tools

Removing wallpaper can be a messy process, so Lakeside Painting uses drop cloths, moves furniture (if need be), and remove outlet and other electrical plates. Don't just start ripping at the wallpaper. It's not going to work. Once this is done, gather your tools and get them ready. You'll need 3 to 6 inch broad knives, a scoring tool, ladder and a spray bottle. 
 

Score the Walls, Apply the Solution

A wallpaper scoring tool is needed to poke holes in the wallpaper, allowing for the removal solution to more effectively penetrate the adhesive and loosen the wallpaper's hold. The solution should be mixed with warm water, which, again, will help loosen the wallpaper's adhesion to the wall. Soak the walls with the solution. Some times steamers are used; although we find them to be slow and messy, so we tend not to use them.

Strip Wallpaper

Using the broad knive, peel the edge of the wallpaper, noting the orientiation of the paper (whether it's up/down, left/right). Begin stripping, repeating the process until the wallpaper is completely removed. 

"The worst case scenario is when the paper or wallcovering was applied directly to the drywall without priming," says Lakeside Painting President Joe Pangburn. "An accepted application method, although we do not subscribe to this theory. This make it impossible to wash of the paste, as the water activates the drywall mud and makes a great mess. When we encounter this nightmare we sand the paste to smooth it out, prime the wall to seal it up, and skim coat the wall to ready it for paint."

Clean the Walls

Spray the solution on the walls again to remove any residual adhesive, then clean with a sponge and let dry for a few days. 

"Some paper pulls off the wall dry," says Lakeside Painting President Joe Pangburn. "In that case you just need to wash off the paste. Sometimes the vinyl face tears off leaving a paper backing exposed which is very absorbent; when wetted it can be easily removed. Again you need to wash of the paste residue."

"Some paste is easily re-dissolved with warm water, others are not," adds Joe. "The best thing to do is try a spot to determine the best method. There are products on the market to help with this process, but protect yourself at all times when using them, as they have active enzymes which your body will absorb."

Final Thoughts

"A lot depends on what you intend to do with the wall after you have removed the wallcovering," says Joe. "If you are going to paint the wall, you need to be careful not to damage it in the removal process or it will take more time to smooth it out for painting." If installing new wallcovering, the process can move faster since you won't need to smooth the wall out—unless, of course, the paper is very thin, then revert back to the aforementioned process.

"There are so many variables I could write a book on my best recommendation," concludes Joe. "If the wallcovering comes off hard or gets torn up in removal, stop and call a professional. It's worth the money."

Check out our blog on Wallpaper With Wine Labels. 

From a young age we're familiarized with the existence of fire extinguisher, but few of us actually learn to use it. At Lakeside Painting we recently underwent fire extinguisher training outside in this lovely, crisp and cold weather. Here's what some of us learned and others at Lakeside already knew. 

We were taught the helpful mnemonic PASS, which stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep. 

Pull

Each fire extinguisher features a safety pin that prevents accidental discharge of the flame-retardent chemicals. In the event of a fire, one must pull the pin. This may seem like a simple step, but in a panic someone might forget to pull the pin, giving a fire ample time to feed on oxygen and spread. So we were taught be ready to pull the pin as soon as we're ready to spray. And instead of simply pulling, give the pin a twist and it will pop right out. 

Aim

Like pulling the pin, aiming my seem like a simple enough action, but the key is to know precisely where to aim the nozzle. To best extinguish the fire, aim at the base, not at the top of the licking flames. It's at the base where materials or vapors are burning. Snuff out the fire's base and you cut off the fire's food. You want to get to the source of the fire. It's the quickest way to put it out. 

Squeeze

Squeeze the trigger to release the flame retardant chemicals. 

Sweep

From 8 to 12 feet back from the fire, sweep the fire extinguisher's nozzle back and forth continuously, trigger pulled back, moving closer and closer until the fire goes out. 

Recently we came across a Southeastern Wisconsin bar and were intrigued to see hundreds and hundreds of wine bottle labels used as wallpaper. Now, the entire bar/restaurant wasn't outfitted in the wine labels—only certain walls. Either way it was an inspired idea.

So how can you use wine labels as wallpaper for your home or business? Here are a few steps.

Remove the Wine Label

Various methods exist to remove labels. For our purposes we'll only consider one.

Take some Goo Be Gone, rub it on the wine label and place it in a bucket of warm water. Fill the bottle up with warm water to keep it from floating and to warm up the labels glue from the inside. Soak for a few minutes. Remove from the bucket and take a razor blade to the label, working carefully so as to not cut or tear the paper. Once removed, place the label on some paper towel to dry, patting it a bit to aid in the drying process. If the label curls as it dries, place it in the middle of a big book to flatten it. 

Decide on Which Room to Wallpaper with Wine Labels

Two of the best options for this decorative wallcovering technique are the kitchen and bathroom. Naturally, the kitchen would be the best option, as it won't require an entire wall outfitted with the labels—only those portions underneath or between cabinets and the counter. Bathrooms are also a great option because they are smaller, requiring less labels and overall work as a result.

Paste the Labels to the Wall

Once you've accumulated enough labels (this may involve asking friends for wine bottles, or asking a bar/restaurant for their recyclables), use wallpaper paste to make the labels adhere to the walls. Once the wall (or a portion of the wall) is covered in the labels, use a clear paint to hold it all together. 

Check out our blog on wallpapering with newspapers and magazines. 

If you're in the Milwaukee or Waukesha areas and need help covering your kitchen or bathroom's walls with wine labels, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com. 

At Lakeside Painting we have extensive experience in painting food service plants. Our customers include Birdseye, Baptista Bakery, Kemps Diary and Nestle, amongst others. A unique set of challenges present themselves when painting for food service businesses, but with proper planning and execution, the job can be done safely, cleanly and efficiently. 

Below are a few key points to consider when hiring a painting contractor for interior food service plant work. 

Know the USDA Regulations

Nothing is as important as staying current with USDA regulations for food and agricultural facility painting. Business owners will save themselves a lot of time and money if they stick to the guidelines. All else follows. 

Proper Ventilation

One of the first things to be determined when taking on an interior food service paint job is whether the facility is properly ventilated. This is a concern in any structure, whether business or home, but it's even more vital to food plants. A continuous supply of fresh air should be brought in, while air saturated with paint and other air-borne particles should be ventilated. 

Protect Facility, Equipment and Inventory

In order to properly paint a facility, all areas critical the structure, equipment and inventory must be protected with masking and plastic sheeting or dropcloths. This will insure that overspray will not settle on a facility's interior, or get into the equipment and/or inventory (food, in this case). At Lakeside Painting we also build containment walls out of plastic as an additional protective measure. 

Additionally, we use a HEPA Air Scrubber when necessary to keep a negative air pressure within the containment area, which stops contaminants from escaping. 

Low and Zero-VCO Paints

In food service plants, low and zero-VCO paints should be used. VCOs are volatile organic compounds. These clean paints are used for a healthier, greener breathing environment at homes and businesses, but they're also critical for food processing plants, for obvious reasons.  

Consider Epoxy Coating for Floors

When a food service facility needs painting, whether it's new or renovated, it's important to prevent dirt, grime, bacteria and mold from developing. A great way of doing this is by coating the concreate floor with epoxy. Lakeside Painting's staff is trained in epoxy coating application, which will create a non-porous and continuous surface into which potential food contaminants cannot settle and multiply. 

Nights, Weekends & Plant Shutdown Painting

In the course of food service painting it will likely be necessary for a contractor to have his painters work nights, weekends and even during plant shutdowns. It's an additional step for ensuring the integrity of the facility, equipment and inventory. And so you should look for a contractor that can work as efficiently and safely as possible. At Lakeside Painting, our painters have long been trained in the craft of food service facility painting and we welcome the challenge. 

If you have any other questions about contracting a paint job for your food service facility, call Lakeside Painting at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

After last week's Thanksgiving and the mayhem of Black Friday, we are now full steam ahead into the Holiday season. Whatever holiday you celebrate—whether it be Christmas, Hannuka or Quanza—consider giving your home's kitchen a paint job. No holiday host wants an extended family member remarking, "That paint is peeling around the sink," or "What a dull color, wouldn't you say, Ruth?" We here at Lakeside Painting want to help you avoid that experience. It's far better to impress and in the process create a lasting look for your kitchen. 

What follows are a few ideas for enhancing the look of your kitchen come the Holidays.

Paint or Stain Cabinets & Drawers

As the most visible component of any kitchen, cabinets and drawers attract both good and bad attention. If they need a paint or stain job, they'll practically be screaming for help. A number of options are available. A traditional wood stain to emphasize the grain can be paired with a new paint job for the walls to give the kitchen a classy look. We also recommend the vintage, cottage look. For this aesthetic, a glaze is added to the wood to make the surface appear rustic and lived-in. (Read our blog Budget-Friendly Cabinet Makeover Ideas for more inspiration.) One of our favorite rustic looks is achieved by applying an umber glaze to the cabinets, then applying a turquoize glaze on top, then buffing and scraping for the lived-in feel. Classic.

Give the Walls a Classy Paint Job

Just because it's the holidays doesn't mean you should paint your kitchen's walls red or green. However, a deep crimson red would look incredibly nice in a kitchen, as would a light olive green. Burgundy (the color of Burgundy wines) would also be an inspired, classic look. Painting the walls with a light, breezy color like Egg Shell Blue is also beautiful and timeless option. A yellow hue would also look great, bringing energy and warmth into the kitchen come December. 

Wallpaper Instead of Paint?

As an alternative to painting your kitchens walls, consider covering them with wallpaper. All sorts of vintage and modern looks abound these days, many of which we've profiled in our Wallpaper of the Week series we ran last year. Victorian patterns would look fantastic, as would more modern, playful ones. 

Paint That Ceiling

Again, with all the attention fixed on cabinets and walls, the ceiling tends to get overlooked. Even if you decide to stick with a white ceiling to contrast the cabinets and walls, a fresh coat of paint for the ceiling would only enhance the overall aesthetic of the kitchen. 

Consider Chalkboard Paint

A more leftfield option, and one that has been trending over the last few years, is painting some of the kitchen walls with chalkboard paint. It's fun, playful and potentially useful for taking notes, or letting your kids and family members draw and write funny bits. 

Check out our blog entry on Chalkboard Painting ideas. 

And if you have any other questions on kitchen makeovers for the Holidays, call Lakeside Painting at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

In the first entry of Lakeside Painting's new blog series, Master Artist Paint Inspiration, we take a look at the great but tragic artist Vincent Van Gogh. The Dutch painter with a missing ear may have been known for his impressionistic use of paint strokes, but he was also an expert a dynamic color combinations. We'll take a look at two painting that typify his beautiful and brilliant use of color.

Starry, Starry Night

This painting is perhaps Van Gogh's most famous, and rightly so. Its colors burst on the canvas and collide in whirlpools of motion. The viewer of Starry, Starry Night tends to focus on the whirling atmospheric action, but Van Gogh's color scheme here is matchless. A variety of blues—navy, blue-green, turqouise, etc.—play against vibrant yellows and yellow-greens. It's a master class in complimentary colors. But Van Gogh also demonstrates that cool and warm colors (blue and yellow) can and do co-exist quite nicely. 

Why not take some inspiration from Starry, Starry Night's color scheme, and use them for a home interior?

A bedroom or study would be ideal, or even a room designated as an entertainment space. Pair one of the deeper blues in the canvas with rustic, yellow-hued furniture for a striking, Van Gogh-esque room. Paint two walls with a dark hue of blue, and the two opposite a more lighter hue. Or if a room has chair rail modling, paint the top half in a dark blue, and the bottom half in a lighter one, according to whatever colors inspire in Van Gogh's famous painting. 

Cafe Terrace at Night

This famous painting, which (obiously) depicts the Cafe Terrace at night at the Place du Forum in Arles, France. It was the first time that Van Gogh used a starry sky as a backdop in his painting. Immediately the eye is drawn to the beautiful and luminous yellow at the heart of the Cafe Terrace. It seems warm, inviting and even fun. Certainly it seems artistic. 

As Van Gogh said of the painting in a letter to his sister:

"I was only interrupted by my work on a new painting representing the exterior of a night café. On the terrace there are small figures of people drinking. An immense yellow lantern illuminates the terrace, the facade, the side walk and even casts light on the paving stones of the road which take a pinkish violet tone. The gables of the houses, like a fading road below a blue sky studded with stars, are dark blue or violet with a green tree. Here you have a night painting without black, with nothing but beautiful blue and violet and green and in this surrounding the illuminated area colours itself sulfur pale yellow and citron green. It amuses me enormously to paint the night right on the spot. Normally, one draws and paints the painting during the daytime after the sketch. But I like to paint the thing immediately. It is true that in the darkness I can take a blue for a green, a blue lilac for a pink lilac, since it is hard to distinguish the quality of the tone. But it is the only way to get away from our conventional night with poor pale whitish light, while even a simple candle already provides us with the richest of yellows and oranges."

If Van Gogh's description of the scene that inspired the painting isn't enough to serve as color inspiration for a room, we're not sure what will. Start with that luminous "immense yellow lantern" color. A kitchen would look fantastic with such a wondrously beautiful hue—an artist's yellow. Combined with some creative lighting, a homeowner could essentially recreate that glow right in their kitchen. A bold homeowner might even consider painting the cabinets blue, and then applying aging effects to create a dazzling vintage look. Uh, what beauty!

If you need help taking inspiration from a master artist, or even a landscape artist, and applying it to your home or business, please call Lakeside Painting at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Here at Lakeside Painting we understand safety is an investment, so we conduct daily job site and equipment safety inspections along with job huddles, weekly tool box safety talks and monthly company wide safety meetings. In our weekly production meeting we ask for and discuss any close calls or "Near Miss Accidents." We then evaluate what almost happened and how to avoid this in future.

As a business, this type of constant training and awareness allows us to pass on lower costs to our new and returning customers.

It works like this: if we are up to date on OSHA requirements and other safety regulations, we can reduce company overhead by cutting down on insurance costs. This ultimately makes its way to our customers in the form of reduced painting prices. And so we here at Lakeside Painting keep our employees in annual good standing in both Wisconsin and on the federal level.

Recently our painters took part in an OSHA-required safety meeting for proper man-lift operation. Even if OSHA didn't require the training, we'd do it anyway, as it keeps our employees safe and healthy and reduces the probability of preventable accidents at commercial and industrial job sites. 

As Lakeside Painting President Joe Pangburn observes, "We spent several hours in a classroom with power point slides followed up by a written test. We then went over each question and the correct answers, if any of our painters got them wrong." Pangburn adds, "We also spent a few hours of hands-on training with the various types of lifts we use, which was time well spent." The types of lifts included scissors lifts, booms and articulating booms.

Different man-lift manufacturers have various forms of controls and emergency stop safety options. We regularly use these booms and lifts, so our painters are familiar with the machinery; but we need to be vigilant about safety and keep the staff updated about the controls on new and/or unfamiliar models we will be using in the coming years. 

Again, the safety meetings help keep our costs low, which in turn allows us to offer a better price to our Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois customers. 

Perhaps it's too early to be thinking of the winter blues here in Southeastern Wisconsin. Fall only recently passed and winter has just arrived. Nevertheless, there are those among us who dread the winter and long for the days of summer's green and yellow vibrancy, or fall's multitude of changing colors. Outside of embracing lots of snowfall, biting breezes and barren trees by way of winter sports (snowshoeing, fishing and skiing), we here at Lakeside Painting like to recommend an interior color change to your home or business in the Milwaukee area. 

Choosing a Warm Color for Winter

Warm color hues are multitudinous. It's simply a quesiton of style and taste. That is, which colors fit best with one's aesthetics, psyche and the style demanded by furnishings. 

Obviously, a yellow hue will brighten a room, bringing a summery feel to the atmosphere. But yellow is quite a dynamic color, not always appropriate for the look of a room. Oranges are a great alternative. They don't pop nearly as much as yellow (unless it's a bright orange), and they're quite a bit more versatile with furnishings, especially if one has a penchant for vintage furniture and such. Reds are another natural alternative to yellow. And, like orange, their versatility is strong. We here at Lakeside Painting like a deep or crimson red for rooms. The upside to a darker orange or red is that it will warm the room up without illuminating the space the way a yellow will. Keep that in mind when selecting your warm color. 

Check out our blog post on Mexicana, Lime Green and Forsythia Blossom for some offbeat, creative but warm interior paint colors. 

Which Rooms to Paint?

Ah, this is the trick. A whole-sale interior re-paint may not be necessary; unless of course the entire home or business is in need of it. Some home and business owners may just want to paint a few rooms. Either way, it's sensible to select the rooms that get the most use: living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms. Hallways, wash rooms and bathrooms won't likely need a paint job, and neither will children's or guest rooms (unless your child requests a warmer color). And for those who have a work room or library at home, these are also great areas for warm paint colors to take away the winter blues. 

If you have any more questions about how to warm up an interior space during the winter, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or mail us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Lakeside Painting, a residential and commercial painting company, is equipped and experienced with the latest technology in pressure washing services throughout the Midwest. No matter how tough and dirty the surface, Lakeside’s experts have the knowledge and equipment to do the job right. With the high-tech pressure washing method, your home or business's stripping and cleaning needs are completed with a minimum of mess, disruption and downtime.

Commercial Pressure Washing

One of Lakeside Painting's most consistently requested jobs in the painting industry is pressure (power) washing. The technique of pressure washing, whether it be applied to residential, commercial or industrial surfaces, is one of the most effective means of properly cleaning an exterior. 

Pressure washers are high-power mechanical sprayers used to remove old paint, dirt, mold, dust, grime, build-up and other unwanted residue from exterior surfaces—the stuff that simple elbow grease just cannot remove. With a pressure washer, water is expelled from a gun-like nozzle at high velocity to dislodge unwanted residue. If necessary, our painters, who are properly trained in pressure washer safety and application, can introduce detergent into the washing process. 

Whether you need heavy-duty stripping or precision surface cleaning, Lakeside can put pressure washing to work for you, providing excellent results safely and quickly.

Alternatives; Sponge Blasting & Dry Ice Blasting

For an eco-friendly, interior alternative to pressure washing, Lakeside Painting offers Sponge Blasting and Dry Ice Blasting services. With Sponge Blasting, microscopic water-based polyurethane particles are blasted at surfaces to remove residue. Dry Ice Blasting discharges frozen CO2 particles at high speeds, causing unwanted materials to freeze, crack, and peel away instantly.

As the green economy continues to ramp up here in Wisconsin, nationally and abroad, a number of products have come to the market, many of which make great claims of being environmentally-friendly and sustainable. As with all labeling, we all should be careful to pick the right products, and make sure the testing has been rigorous. As an industrial, commercial and residential painting contractor, Lakeside Painting has taken it upon itself to be aware of the various eco-friendly painting trends, both of our own volition but also to respond to customer demand. 

When choosing eco-friendly paints, be on the look out for what's called "greenwashing"—misstatements or exaggerations as to the eco-friendliness of a product. As noted by Scot Case, vice president of environmental marketing firm TerraChoice, which manages the EcoLogo Program, that greenwashing is not really malicious in intent. 

"I would prefer to think that we have manufacturers that are confused about what green is, working with marketing firms that are confused about what green is, and selling to consumers who are confused as to what green is," says Case.

The key is to look for paints with third-party certification. If a paint company claims it is environmentally-friendly, it should be able to back this up with evidence. When we select paints, we look for this certification. What we look for, and what we encourage customers to use, is low or zero VOC paints. VOCs are volatile organic compounds. VOCs are much safer for homeowners and very eco-friendly. 

Green Seal and GreenGuard both certify eco-friendly paints. Green Seal offers certification that a given paint’s VOC content is at 50 g/l or lower for flat paint, while 100 g/l or lower for non-flat paint. GreenGuard allows trace amounts of of VOC’s in paints. Both offer solid third party certification. 

Here at Lakeside Painting, we like to use Sherwin-Williams Harmony (certified by GreenGuard) and Benjamin Moore Aura or Natura (Greenguard). Aura is low VCO, while Natura is no-VCO. Aura is more flexible as a result. Both brands work great on interiors, and give homeowners and our own business the piece of mind in healthy, eco-friendly living. Sherwin-Williams' Harmony is zero VOC. 

If you have any more questions about eco-friendly paints and application for your next interior painting project, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

It's that time of year when Lakeside Painting wraps up its various exterior painting projects. And what a year 2012 has been for our company! In the spring, summer and early fall here we've had some of the most challenging and steady stream of work in recent memory. We've had a number of commercial, industrial, residential projects and we'd like to thank our customers for the business. They made 2012 a great year.

Our industrial painting work took us to both new and old customers alike.

P&H Mining in Milwaukee hired us for our first big spring job. In Waukesha we did multiple projects at the General Electric building (where we'd previously done decades of work for Waukesha Engine and Dresser Waukesha). Rexnord Manufacturers in Greenfield was in need of new paint jobs for their heavy equipment manufacturing areas. In Germantown our painters did exterior work at Directly Supply (a senior living equipment and service company) and RockTenn (packaging company) facilities. Case New Holland (a tractor manufacturer) in Racine also hired us for exterior work. Lakeside Painting's crews also did jobs at Strohwig Industries—a custom machining and injection mold manufactuer—in Richfield and Generac in Jefferson. USG, a chips and boards manufacturer, required new paint jobs for their equipment, so we headed to Walworth for the job.

Residential projects included work with Deep River Partners on a highrise condiminium in the heart of Milwaukee. We collaborated with Link Builds on a beautiful house in Whitefish Bay, and then with Scherer Construction on an incredibly beautiful home in Lake Geneva. In total, we painted over 30 home exteriors in the residential market, and we're incredibly proud of our work and thankful that our customers and fellow contractors put their faith in us. Many of these were condominium projects around Wisconsin. The bottom three images to the right in fact are three interiors for home exterior/interior painting projects from earlier this year. We loved the results, as did our customers. 

Again, we'd like to thank all of our customers and collaborators and look forward to another strong and productive year in 2013. 

And, in the meantime, since we will be moving indoors for winter projects, let us know how Lakeside Painting could help realize your residential, commercial or industrial paint project. Call us at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Lakeside Painting has a long and fruitful history in auto dealership painting in the Milwaukee, Waukesha and Lake Geneva areas. Auto dealerships, which include office, showroom and service areas, require a variety of functional and aesthetic painting choices. We were asked by the Dorsch Ford-Lincoln-Kia dealership in Green Bay, Wisconsin to work the Memorial Day weekend shutdown, and we were happy to oblige. 

Dorsch needed us to paint and clean the walls and exposed structural steel in the ceiling of the car service area. (Previously we had done similar work in the body shop and truck service areas.) The difference was marked. What had been dirty, dingy and old painted areas are now brilliantly white, which helps illuminate the area for Dorsch's employes. With the white paint, energy costs can be cut considerably because less light is required to illuminate the service area. 

As Lakeside Painting's president Joe Pangburn notes, "It's importrant that auto dealers keep up appearances." He adds, "And the best ones keep their service areas incredibly clean."

The pictures at the right show Dorsch's car service area's new look. The bottom photo was taken before the job. 

Although our work was limited to the walls and ceiling of the car service area, we also prep concrete floors at auto dealerships. By removing old surfaces and either shot-blasting and/or diamond grinding the surface, we can ensure proper adhesion. This is followed up with a coat of epoxy, giving the surface a brilliant and strong finish. We can also add grit to the coating in wet areas, or any surfaces which accumulate oil and grease; thus ensuring employee safety.

Proper cleaning is a must in any paint operation. At Lakeside we offer a variety of options in this regard from Sponge-Blasting and Dry-Ice Blasting to solvent and hot water washes, removing oils and grease associated with car or truck maintenance.

Head over to our Auto Dealerships service page for more information on how Lakeside Painting can help make your dealership look great.

Looking for a nice fall color for your home? Look no further than French Roast, one of Pantone's Fall 2012 colors of note.

Sherwin-Williams's French Roast is a nice, earthy brown inspired by the French coffee brewing method. We here at Lakeside Painting think it would look great in any number of rooms in the Greater Milwaukee area. Think of using it in a study or living/entertainment room. In a study, French Roast will create a nice contemplative atmosphere for reading and thinking. And it will look great with books, vintage photographs and decorations. In a living/entertainment room, French Roast would knock down the light that makes it difficult to watch movies or TV shows on a television. 

The paint's color would also look great in a master bedroom since it's exceptionally classy and timeless. It's clearly not loud as many other fall colors (orange, yellow); as such, it lends itself to a number of different decorative elements, easily pairing with a variety of colors. Wooden furniture pairs well with the color, but it would also look fantastic when used in conjunction with other fall colors like light yellow or sage green. If you want a more modern approach to interior design, pair it with pastel colors. The color also works well with whites and blacks.

Benjamin Moore has a similar paint called French Press, which is slightly deeper and more earthy, but would function in much the same way as French Roast.

If you live in the Greater Milwaukee or northern Illinois areas and would like to discuss applying a French Roast or French Press color to your home's walls, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com. 

Look on the index of most color chips and paint fandecks and you'll often find the acronym LRV. You may have noticed those letters and wondered what they mean. Well, we here at Lakeside Painting are here to define it and show readers how it can be used.

Definition

LRV stands for Light Reflectance Value, and it's place on color chips and paint fandecks is a way of gauging the quality of light that will result from any particular paint. 

LRV does not deal with the intensity of color (brightness/dullness), only lightness or darkness. It a measurement of how much a paint color reflects or absorbs light. Think of it in these two extremes: white reflects light, whereas black absorbs it. They are the two poles of LRV, rendering pure white a 100% LRV color and a pure black a 0% LRV. We don't live in a world of such extremes, though—the purest white still absorbs light, and the blackest black still reflects some. So, the purest black has a 5% LRV, while the purest white sits at 85%. 

How LRV is Used

LRV is used by interior designers, architects, color consultants and painters in the design of interior and exterior spaces lit by both artificial light and daylight. Certain colors, as we've often discussed here at the Lakeside Painting blog, enhance light's qualities, while others absorb and knock down light's intensity. 

Use in Homes

Architects, interior designers and painters might recommend a high LRV color if a home owner wants their new home to have less lighting fixtures. If the homeowner opts for more light fixtures, on the other hand, it might be best to go with a color lower down on the LRV scale. 

On exteriors, LRV is used to decide how much light the surfaces—whether vinyl, brick, wood, etc.—will reflect or absorb. This relates to our recent blog post on Cool Roof Painting, in which roofs are painted white to reflect sunlight, thus preserving the paint job, lowering cooling costs and keeping a business environmentally friendly. A home in an annually cold climate, conversely, might want to use a lower LRV color in order to absorb any sunlight for warmth. A home or businesses's climate is certainly a factor here.

Use in Factories and Commercial Businesses

In factories, LRV is used by architects to help a business owner save money on energy, since less energy is required to illuminate an employee's work space. Indeed, when energy efficient bulbs that require less fixtures are paired with a high LRV paint color, the energy savings would be considerable, not to mention environmentally friendly. And the bonus is that aesthetically it looks much, much better. (Read our blog entry "Painting Ceilings Improves Factor Aesthetics".) As noted above, painting a factory roof white will yield incredible savings on energy.

For both homes and businesses it's important to note that 50% is the mid-tone value, which those in interior design and painting often use as a baseline reference when selecting colors. Work around that value at first, then consider colors at the opposite extremes if nothing is doing the trick.

Final Thoughts

It's not always easy to predict how a color, whether it is high or low LRV, will look in an interior or exterior space until it is applied. Naturally, LRV familiarity cannot take the place of good taste, instincts, training and experience. As paint professionals, we know that these factors count for a lot.

If you have a project in the Greater Milwaukee area or northern Illinois, and need help navigating LRV and other color theory questions, call Lakeside Painting at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

We've all seen dry-erase whiteboard walls used in offices, but what about the alternative: walls outfitted with chalkboard paint? That's right— what's old is new again. Chalkboard paint has been trending both in the office and at home over the last year. So here are a few of Lakeside Painting's tips for deciding whether chalkboard paint is for you and where to use it. 

Home

The most obvious location is the childrens' rooms. What kid doesn't have a natural urge to write and paint on walls? Encourage it. You may find that you'll have some fun yourself. Parents may not want to paint all walls with chalkboard paint, especially if the kid is so young they can't distinguish between, say, wallpaper and the chalkboard. Similarly, a play room is an excellent place for chalkboard painted walls.

Another room to consider would be an office/study, particularly if one of the parents works from home. The chalkboard wall will function as an idea board. Just keep the ideas high up, lest the kid get into the room and start erasing critical ideas. 

Chalkboard paint could also be used in a kitchen. Select a portion of a wall and use the chalkboard for To Do lists and other notes. Heck, do the entire wall in chalkboard paint if it pleases you! You can even paint a refridgerator with chalkboard paint. Keep in mind that chalkboard painted areas can be framed and need not take up entire walls. It's really up to the home and business owner. Furnitire, such as cabinets and shelves, can also look great with chalkboard paint. It makes them suddenly quirky and fun instead of purely functional or decorative. 

Office

At Lakeside Painting we've seen entire office walls outfitted with dry-erase chalkboard. We're also seeing a growing demand for chalkboard paint. As noted above, such walls can be an invaluable tool for businesses. It looks aesthetically better than a rectangular dry-erase or traditional chalkboard, and it encourages more active involvement in brainstorming or trouble-shooting work sessions. 

Give each office room a chalkboard wall and see what happens. 

Applying Chalkboard Paint

The traditional rules of painting apply here. Clean the surface first, tape it off, prime the wall, then apply the chalkboard paint. This type of paint can be applied with brush or roller. Let the surface dry for three days. Once dry, rub chalk over the surface to make sure the chalkboard paint adhered properly.  

Cleaning Chalkboard Walls

Benjamin Moore Paints recommends using a damp cloth or paper towel instead of erasers. They also recommend using light-colored chalk. 

[Images via HomeEdit.com]

An up and coming way to save money on a building's cooling costs, as well as to help the environment is cool roof painting. Lakeside Painting's customers have in recent years been increasingly interested in this roof painting technique. Those of you who are unfamiliar with the technique might ask, "So what is it?" Read on. 

During the day, a roof's temperature can reach 150 to 194 degrees farenheit. That heat can transfer down into the building, increasing the energy load required for cooling. Air pollution and other emissions rise considerably as a result. A coat of cool roof paint reflects the sun rays away from the building, preventing heat transfer into the building's interior. The financial and environmental effects are incredibly positive. Savings on energy costs can be up to 15% annually. 

Other benefits of cool roof painting are as follows: low job costs, longer-lasting roof paint job, a more comfortable work environment, and a cooler planet. And we can all dig that, can't we?

As the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory noted in a 2011 paper, "white roofs provide a sensible, low-cost solution that significantly reduces energy need and costs in a wide variety of climates, and a growing body of work suggests that selective use of white roofs may also reduce  heating of the Earth's surface."

We agree.

One of the things to look for in both new and structures, whether office buildings or homes, is plaster damage. Here are a few tips for spotting the damage and getting repairs. 

Most often building and homeowners think if plaster damage to the extent of superficial nicks and dents. These usually come about because of doors slamming into walls, or the wholes from hung objects such as framed photographs or paintings. While these should certainly be repaired to keep the cosmetic appearnce of your walls looking great, there is something else to look for that will require a bit more work. 

As new homes settle into their foundations, cracks appear in the walls. Sometimes such cracks will pop out at you. We often see cracks running diagonally across a wall. Other times they will only be revealed upon close inspection, such as high up near the ceiling. Once you've found all of the cracks, dents, holes and other damage in your walls or ceiling, it's either time to hire a painter or repairman, or jump on the project DIY-style. 

For minor cracks and holes, it's vital that any debris be removed from the area so that the plaster has enough room to fill the area. Also, in both holes and cracks, professionals will carve a little bit around the area of the broken plaster. This ensures a nice "seat" to which the new plaster can properly adhere. When applying the plaster, a spackle knife will do the trick. Be sure to work for an even surface. Let it dry 24 hours. If the plaster sinks a bit into the crack, creating a depression, add some more plaster, even it out, and wait another 24 hours. Don't be afraid of building the plaster up a little a bit because it can always be sanded down to an even surface. 

If there are large cracks or water damage to the plaster, a professional will most certainly need to be called. Watch the video below, which details how to repair plaster walls. 

Thinking of wallpapering your walls but not really interested in vintage or modern designs? Think alternatively. 

We here at Lakeside Painting have helped customers achieve a unique look by covering home and business walls with paper and text. For instance, in one customer's bathroom we applied old newspapers to the walls. Wallpaper paste will work just fine for adhesion, but it's best to cover the layers of newspaper with a clear paint to hold it all together and protect it from wear and tear. 

Get creative with the newspaper you use. If you love New York City, find old or new copies of The New York Times. If you want art-theme newpaper text and images, dig around in old and new newspaper Arts & Entertainment sections. Pick a theme and go with it. You could fill an entire wall with old newspaper illustrations as well, or pick out various words that you like. The possibilities are pretty limitless. And if the newspaper was recently published, you could stain it to look vintage. 

Another possibility is to take old and new magazine images and paste them to your walls. A Swedish graphic design company, for instance, cover its walls in the spines of magazine. It's almos a clever nod back to one's childhood, when when we all taped images and text on walls walls, but doing it in a much more professional and visually attractive way now. 

An added bonus is that using old paper products is environmentally friendly!

Call or email Lakeside Paintinng if you have any questions about wallpapering walls with newspapers and magazines. 

On June 27, 2012, Wisconsin recognized 3M's LeadCheck testkit. Lead-safe renovators, such as Lakeside Painting, can now use the testkit to check for the presence of lead and its safe removal. Only property owners or those contracting for a paint service can ask for the LeadCheck test.

Previously, the tests, which were carried out with swabs, could only be conducted on painted wood and metal. Now they can be used on plaster and drywall to prevent against lead poisoning.

“We are hearing from contractors that they are pleased to have an easy, low-cost option that’s now recognized for use on drywall and plaster,” said Wade Bowman, brand manager, 3M Construction and Home Improvement Markets. “In just 30 seconds, the 3M LeadCheck Swabs turn red if lead is present. Now contractors can choose to do their testing with one simple test kit."

At $5 it's a cheap and safe method of ensuring one's home is lead-free. Only lead-safe renovators are allowed to use the LeadCheck testkit, though, as per Wisconsin's Department of Health & Human Services. So, if you are concerned about your current home or propective home's paint history, or if you have any other concerns about lead paint in your home, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at 262.642.9445.

Watch the video below to see how the LeadCheck swabs are used on drywall and plaster surfaces to test for lead.

Primer. You've probably heard the word a lot, but maybe the idea of it remains a little mysterious. Fear not, for we here at Lakeside Painting shall in the following paragraphis define it, as well as describe its uses and advantages. 

Many people who are intent on pursuing a DIY painting projects often don't think of using primer. Bad choice. Once the wall has been properly prepped (cleaned), the first thing you want to do is apply primer. It's an undercoat or base coat that creates far better adhesion for the top coats. And if done properly, it will create a more lasting paint job, protecting it in a number of ways. 

First of all, if primer is applied to wood, drywall or concrete, it will fill the porous walls. With wood, the primer fills the porous surface, ensuring that the top coat properly cures. Many paints require a slow-drying and absorption period. If the top coat is applied straight to the wood, the pores will quickly absorb and dry the paint; which, as noted, is not good for properly-cured paints. The primer also waterproofs the wood. Result: no warping, mold, etc. A primer also seals drywall and prevents mold.

Using primer with concrete walls really helps with adhesion. A single coat of the preferred main coat might not do the track. Primer is therefore essential. And, again, it will fill the pores and prevent moisture. This is especially important in concrete basement walls where you really need a moisture barrier. Primer is a cheap way to save you a boatload of money fixing the concrete walls. 

Although painting metal is not typically a concern for the homeowner, it is a big concern for commercial and industrial facilities (factories, plants, etc). Metal structures and machinery are targets for moisture and primer can prevent rust and corrosion. Again, it's a cheap way to avoid any big repair costs later. 

The lesson to take away here is that primer, while it may seem to be a hassel or unnecessary, is extremely important to the overall integrity of a paint job, whether at home or in a factory. 

If you have any questions about appllying primer to your home or business's walls, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Some homeowners in the East Troy, WI area need frequent change in their décor. It can relieve stress by bringing new life into too familiar surroundings and satisfy their need for transformation.
For other homeowners in Southeastern Wisconsin, change is unsettling, and to preserve their peace of mind, they must maintain the ambiance of the home they’ve grown to love.
Though drastically different in personality, both types of homeowners can benefit from interior painting services offered by the painting professionals at Lakeside. Whether rejuvenating a space with bold new colors or replenishing the fresh, clean look of familiar hues, painting is the most cost-effective way to meet both needs.
For change-driven homeowners, there are only so many ways to re-arrange the furniture, and frequent re-decorating can be costly. Changing paint color, on the other hand, is relatively quick and dramatic.
For change-averse homeowners, if dingy walls and peeling paint has brought about undesired change, the effects of time can be reversed by painting the house interior with a fresh coat.
Homeowners in the Brookfield, Waukesha and Delafield looking to bring new life to the look of their home or those wanting to freshen familiar aesthetics should contact Lakeside Painting online or at 1-800-642-9445.

Looking for a painting company for your commercial business? As business owners ourselves here at Lakeside Painting, we know what it's like when searching for a skilled tradesmen, whether it's plumbing, electrical, roofing, etc. As contractors, we have a number of contacts at our disposal. But what does the average commercial business owner need to know when searching for a commercial painter? 

As Lakeside Painting owner Joe Pangburn observes, "In many cases, a customer has been tasked with getting something done by their boss. The boss needs help. This employee wants someone they can trust to get the job done properly without breaking the bank. This keeps their boss happy." Joe adds, "If the employee does well, they will look good. If they fail, it will reflect poorly on them."

"We have a good track record of making these employees look good," says Joe. 

In order to do this, a strong degree of trust needs to be established between the customer and the painting company. What helps establish that trust? Experience in the field and knowledge are huge assets.

"We have over thirty years of experience as a resource," says Joe. "With that amount of experience, we can reassure the customer and create a high degree of trust. If we don't know the answer, we know who to bring in to find a solution." 

Beyond trust and a strong track record, a customer will also need to be sure that the painting contractor has the ability to work in and around the commercial business's environment with little disruption to their systems. This is critical. If a customer brings in a bumbling painting company, and they slow the work flow, then the boss will be none too pleased. These are things one learns over many years in the painting business. A painter who reassures a commercial business customer that the work can be done with little disruption is a good sign that the company is the right fit.

Honesty and integrity are also things to look for when looking for a painting company. If the job cannot be done within the timeframe desired by the customer, an honest painting contractor will know when to say, "No." 

"'No' is a hard word to learn to use," says Joe. "But, i would rather tell a customer 'No' than disappoint them with a bad result. That's just good business. You don't want to set unreal expectations for the customer or your business." 

Lastly, look for a painting company that seems creative. If they seem run-of-the-mill in their approach, instead of excited and full of ideas for your paint job, then they're probably run-of-the-mill. Look for a contractor with enthusiasm and a creative approach to getting the job done to your satisfaction.

Take a look at our brochure to see some of our recent customers, including GE Energy, Generac Power Systems, Nestle, Kemps and others. And check out some of the other commercial companies we've worked with over the years. 

Most often when we talk about the "cottage look," or variously "antiquing" and "lived-in," we are referring to its use on cabinets, walls, furniture, etc. Indeed, this is where one tends to find these techiques applied. As fans of this form of decorative painting, though, we also really like to use it on walls. Specifically, drywall, since this is the most common wall material used in homes today.

What we do is apply plaster to drywall to create the irregular looks associated with old world plaster walls. You see this technique used everywere from Disney World to the latest hip restaurants and bars. It's a relatively cheap and highly effective method of tricking the eye into believing the walls are actually older than they really are.

Once the plaster has been added and allowed to dry, we prime the wall. Once that is done, we add an antiquing or aging glaze to the walls. Usually this is nothing more than a brown tone glaze. We’ve done rathskellers in homeowners’ basements before, and to really enhance the effect we've added more glaze at the top of the walls to simulate the effect that a chimney fire and candles once had on walls.

Remember that the key is to make surfaces look aged instead of dirty. This is an important distinction. An aging project will be successful only if someone walks into the space and says something like, “I like this room but I don’t know why.” Color theory is also critical, as certain colors like weathered green and burnt amber are more effective than others. 

One of the aspects of home renovation and decoration we encounter most often is the need for carpentry service. It might be exterior problems such as rotted siding and warped decking, or interior issues such as uninspiring baseboards and outdated mouldings. The problems and possibilities are numerous.

Carpentry services, such as repairs, can often mean multiple contractors—someone to repair the warped decking, for example, and another contractor to paint or stain the deck. It's best to cut down on the costs and other hassles associated with multiple contractors. Lakeside Painting offers a number of carpentry servies aimed at upgrading a home's integrity and aesthetic, giving it a sophisticated look in the process. 

Here are some of the other areas to look for when thinking of carpentry services. 

Look at doors and windows—do they need to be repaired or replaced? Be on the look out for water damage, broken hinges, frames, etc. Another thing to look for is rotting decks. The top of a deck may look relatively healthy. Maybe there's a little warping or fading staing/paint. However, beneath the deck, in hard to see places, there might be some rotting. Give the deck a good look and make sure it is taken care of promptly.

To increase the interior's aesthetic, think of installing wainscotting. Originally used to insulate a home, it's now a decorative technique. The wainscotting could be painted or stained one color, while the wall space above it could be painted or wallpapered in another design. It can be a very attractive look for any number of a home's rooms. 

These are just a few ideas for carpentry repairs and upgrades from us at Lakeside Painting. Give us a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com if you have any other questions. 

Early use of paint dates back at least 100,000 years, as discovered by archaeologists in 2011 when they discovered ochre designs on a shell fragment. From this earliest inventive use of earth’s resources, the history of paint is full of improvements and innovations.

Ancient uses of paint were mainly decorative in nature, but the needs of modern businesses necessitates advances in the chemical qualities and application methods used by professional painting companies.

One of many valuable innovations is dry fall painting. Just as its name describes, dry fall paint dries very rapidly, and droplets often dry before reaching surfaces not intended for painting, thereby eliminated unwanted adherence. The dry drops can then be easily swept away, eliminating timely clean-up and need for elaborate masking.

Dry fall painting is particularly desirable for use on large buildings when automobiles and other objects are difficult to cover or inconvenient to move. Dry fall is also commonly used for exposed structural steel in factories and manufacturing facilities.

To determine whether or not dry fall is best for you, contact Lakeside Painting contractors online or at 1-800-642-9445.

A fun and interesting decorative painting technique is Crinkle Paper Painting, which we'll take a look at below. The technique requires tissue paper, paint, a paint brush and perhaps a roller. 

"Instead of using tissue paper squares," says Joe. "Tear the tissue paper into pie-shaped pieces. This prevents the wall from appearing too horizontally or vertically-oriented." 

Once everything is ready, sections of the wall about the size of tissue paper square must be painted bit by bit. Then add the tissue paper, making sure that paper adheres to the paint. Once that has been accomplished, feel free to move the tissue paper about until it's as smooth or rough as desired. Do not attempt to paint the entire wall first, then add the tissue paper. Again, take your time, moving section by section. 

Using a paint brush or roller for the next step is a matter of preference and aesthetics. Note, though, that using a paint brush will give the wall a very distinct variety of brush strokes. A roller is best used if a more uniform look is desired.

"Another thing we do once the paint has dried is add a colorwashing antiquing glaze," says Joe. "It gives it a nice, attractive antiquing look."

We advise, however, that the technique only be user for accenting certain walls and not outfitting the entire home or apartment.

Lakeside Painting is happy to team up again with Stebnitz Builders for the Lakeland Builders Association Parade of Homes Tour from 10am to 5pm August 4th and 5th (the house was also shown July 28/29th).

Back in 2008, we helped Stebnitz Builders remodel a fantastic Delavan-area home, and it looks pretty incredible (check out the photos of the transformation). It was a highly satisfying painting project and we're happy to show our work alongside Stebnitz in the Parade of Homes. 

Our work involved a combination of painting and intricate staining, from enormous elevated ceilings, 30-foot fireplace and a master bath suite to a barn-turned-artist studio and a secret room for the homeowners' grandkids. The art studio was transformed from a 100-year-old barn using the original structure and beams. The homeowners even decided to keep the original hay bale fork and trolley system for aesthetic effect. The barn interior features some really fantastic wood and stain work of which we're extremely proud. We also painted the home's exterior. 

Check out more photos here and read more about the house over at Stebnitz Builders.

Location, Location, Location. It’s often priority one for home buyers and businesses alike. For businesses, securing the right location can determine future success or failure. But once a business owner finds the ideal location, the fight isn’t over. Success also depends on Appearance, Appearance, Appearance. Customers unfamiliar with a business have nothing other than appearance on which to base an impression.

Cleanliness of a building–inside and out–is vital, but even the most pristinely kept space will look shabby with peeling or faded interior or exterior paint. This is especially important for new businesses which have not yet established clientele which can recommend goods or services to future clients.

In addition to cleanliness, it is well established that the psychology of color (color theory) can reflect the tenor of a company’s attitude and philosophy, as well as play an important role in the way future customers and clients perceive the business.

Working with a interior designer can assure color harmony, and employing commercial painting contractors will create those clean lines and fresh look that can move a business toward success.
Let Lakeside Painting be a part of this success. Contact their painting professionals online or call 1-800-642-9445 for a free estimate.

Anyone who lives in or has visited Wisconsin the last month can attest to the fact that it has been darned hot and humid. Not fun. Unless, of course, you're near a body of water or pool, or planted on a couch in an air-conditioned apartment or home. 

As we all head into the hot Wisconsin weekend, here is an idea for a refreshing summer drink. Smoothies have for the last decade or so been a staple of the America diet, but many people buy them from stores instead of making their own. Buying is almost always more expensive, so go out and get your own ingredients!

Our favorite here at Lakeside Painting is the Orange-Pineapple smoothie. My goodness is it delicious and perfect for hot summer days and nights. The taste will be familiar to anyone who has enjoyed a Pina Colada, but this one comes without the alcohol. It looks like sunshine in a glass but tastes like a snowstorm sweeping across a topical island. Plus there's plenty of vitamin C in this drink, which makes for healthy living, and we could all use some more of that.

Give it a shot. You won't be disappointed. 

Here is the recipe for one serving:

- 1 Orange 

- 1/2 of frozen pineapple chunks

- 1/2 cup of Orange Juice (Ice cubes are optional)

- Blend it and serve!

In October of 2011 archaelogists found a 100,000 year old paint studio with remnants of paint and tools. The study was led by researcher Christopher Henshilwood, an archaeologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He and researchers found pieces of ochre, or colored clay, etched with abstract designs on a seashell fragment. 

The cave was found 186 miles east of Cape Town in a seaside cave. It is now called Blombos Cave. 

The pre-historic mixture was made by using ochre and charcoal mixed with heated, crushed boan and water to make it spreadable. Researchers believe the paint was mixed in the seashells and stirred with a slim 2-inch piece of bone, because red residue was found on the seashel and on one end of the bone. 

What can we as modern painters, homeowners and businesses take away from the ancient paint color and technique? First of all, ochre, as perhaps the oldest paint color on Earth, still looks great! And if someone wants a very earthy, natural aesthetic for the house, consider ochre as the dominant color, even if only for a single room. Though the ochre painting above was found in South Africa, it also has a very Southwestern United States or Native American look.

If it was good enough for the ancients, it's certainly good enough for us.

What do many successful business owners have in common? Happy employees. Maintaining high morale improves productivity and the quality of an employee’s work. Business owners can achieve this in any number of ways–including providing employees an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere in which to work.

Offices have a multitude of options by which to experiment with color and interior decorating, but improving décor can be a difficult task in factories and warehouses which have a long-standing reputation of being dim and unappealing. Unfortunately, this reputation is not altogether undeserved, for the basic plan of factories and warehouses is necessarily utilitarian above all else. That doesn’t mean the aesthetics of the space can’t be improved, though. Business owners have the option to overcome this obstacle by painting the typically dark gray exposed steel beams and ceilings a brighter color.

The immediate effect of painting beams and ceilings is remarkable. Not only does it aesthetically improve a work space by eliminating the dismal atmosphere, bright colors also reflect light, allowing employees to perform tasks with greater ease.

This brightening of the space can also reduce the need for additional lighting, saving business owners money in electricity and lighting expansion.

While many painting companies may have the ability to perform the task, Lakeside Painters have extensive experience in industrial painting and have a variety of methods by which to paint ceilings and beams. Contact Lakeside’s commercial painting contractors online or at 1-800-642-9445 for a free estimate.

Looking to expand the look of a room in your home's interior? Have you removed all the clutter and kept things quite minimal and you still feel that the room is not as expansive as you'd like it. Well, one way that we accomplish this task for homeowners here in the Milwaukee-area of Wisconsin is to use dark colors to add depth. 

Pick a color, first of all. This will be the hard part. Once you've settled on a color, pick another hue in that spectrum of color. That is, if you settle on a dark red, for instance, pick a lighter hue of red and paint each set of opposing walls in of those hues. Dark will face dark, and light will face light. The interplay between the light and dark hues will create a more expansive look. 

This technique works best, of course, if the room isn't perfectly square. The lighter hue should be on the longer walls, and the darker hue on the narrower walls. 

Below are a few ideas for revitalizaing a home's deck from us here at Lakeside Painting. 

Pick a New Stain

For those who like the look of the wood's grain, a new stain will do the trick. The old one must be removed and the deck cleaned before applying the new stain. Think about picking different type of stain this time. It will definitely spruce the deck's appearance up.

Color Theme

Instead of a stain, think about using one solid color or a combination of colors. Lighter, cooler colors look great, such as a light blue on the wood deck and a white on the railing or fence. 

Paint Old Wood Furniture  

For those homeowners who already have wood deck furniture but feel that the look is dated, a great option is to paint the outdoor furniture a new color. A bright red always looks nice, or a light blue, which will looks especially great in the summer months. 

Use Plants and Flowers as Decoration

Once the deck and its furntire (whether wood or metal) has been painted or stained, another great idea is to put potted plants and flowers around the deck. And if the deck has pillars and a struture around it (like a pergola), think of hanging some plants. The look will be instantly enhanced with new color and foliage. 

In the midst of the Wisconsin heat wave, it seems as good a time as any to discuss when it is safe to carry out your home's exterior paint project. 

Safety First

With the heat Wisconsin is currently experiencing, exterior paint jobs can be quite difficult and dangerous for the DIY painter. The best thing to do is to start really early and work in the shade. Complicating matters in 95-degree heat is high humidity. It's a killer—literally. In such heat and humidity, the body cannot properly cool itself, particularly when one expending a great deal of energy in the act of painting. 

Be sure to drink plenty of water, not soda. The idea is to stay hydrated because you will be losing a lot of fluids via sweat. Also, use sunblock. The amount of sunlight that painters receive is quite high and you don't want to get sunburnt. Also, check for signs of sun stroke: muscle cramps, headaches, elevated heart rate and incoherent speech. Related to sunstroke is heat exhaustion, in which individuals experience dizzyness, nausea, heavy sweat and clammy skin.

Interior painting is a different story. "Working inside is great as long as there is air flow and, hopefully, air-conditioning," says Lakeside Painting President Joe Pangburn. "We pulled a crew from an interior with no air conditioning today. Safety first."

Paint Application

If you decide to paint in this type of heat and humidity, know a few things before you start. First, in high humidity, the paint will not dry properly. Moisture will be trapped and the paint will soon peel, swell, bubble and otherwise not adhere to the surface. Also, check the surface before painting. The temperature is usually 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the air, so on a day like today with 95 degree heat, the paint's adherence to the surface will be made incredibly difficult if not impossible; unless, of course, you want an uneven paint job that will very quickly need repainting.

Another issue in painting surfaces is finding the right paint. Acryclic latex dries faster than oil-based paints, but in high heat and humidity it becomes difficult to maintain a "wet edge," as we painters call it, which is critical in applying a nice, even and attractive paint job.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind, as noted above, that aside from the obvious application problems when painting exteriors (or interiors) in high heat, the risk to the painters' health is even higher. At Lakeside Painting, we like to err on the side of caution and keep our painters safe and out of the heat and humidity. 

If you have any other questions, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Looking to really make a wall stand out but at a loss as to how to do it? Consider Venetian Plaster. The technique itself is roughly a millenium old, which means it was being used before William the Conqueror took possession of England and Dante wrote The Divine Comedy. That is some serious decorating history, folks!

Lime Plaster is thought to have been used as far back as 9,500 years ago, but it was the Romans who mixed the lime plaster with marble dust to create a sort of Venetian Plaster precursor. Painters of the 16th and 17th century perfected Venetian Plaster, and it is from them that we get the technique. 

Not to discourage homeowners from taking on DIY projects, but it is certainly advised to seek out a professional when fashioning a wall with the plaster. 

Prep the Wall

Before any other step, clean and sand the wall. The surface needs to be prepared for the Venetian Plaster. A high-sheen surface will not do, so be sure to sand it off otherwise a primer must be applied to dull the sheen. 

Apply the Base Coat of Plaster

With random strokes using a trowel, and not worrying too much about covering every bit of surface, apply the plaster to the wall for the base coat. It's easiest to apply at 15 or 30-degree angles. 

Let Plaster Dry for 4 Hours

This step is critical. The base coat must dry. Applying Venetian Plaster cannot be completed in an hour. Patience is a virtue. 

Apply Second Coat

This time you do not need to apply the plaster with the trowel at an angle. Essentially you want the trowel to be almost completely flat or flush against the ceiling or wall. A combination of short and long strokes should be used. Be sure to fill in all recessed areas from the initial base coat. Smooth out any edge marks. Dry for 24 hours. 

(Optional) Top Coat

If you want a shinier surface and something that is washable, consider a top coat. Again, apply it just as you did with the base coat, positioning the trowel at a 15 or 30-degree angle. Sometimes a wax coat is applied as the final coat to protect and add luster. 

Some Final Thoughts

Venetian Plaster is best not used in high traffic areas or walls subject to little people's hands as hand-oils can stain the surface, and the repairs from dings and nicks can be rather difficult.

However, it does look cool on ceilings and accent walls in formal dining and living rooms, but not so good as a kitchen coating, as food oils are troublesome. 

Deeply invested in the success of their company, business owners are concerned with every aspect of their company’s growth. And while they keep careful watch on sales figures and reputation, above all else they are concerned with the safety of their employees. Good business owners take all precautions to avoid on-the-job injuries.

One way in which they accomplish this involves the use of commercial striping. With commercial striping, painting companies are hired to paint stop signs, lines, and other markings to provide for worker safety as well as efficient workflow.

Don Wolfram, former facilities manager of Waukesha Dresser (now GE Energy), knows firsthand the importance of striping.

“We built big engines and it was about a million square feet under one roof,” he explained. “I couldn’t imagine having a facility that size without any line markings or direction.”

Before retiring, Wolfram worked 44 years for the company, starting on the ground floor as a hand trucker. Moving through various jobs up to management, he was able to experience the importance of safety from all positions. But how exactly did striping contribute so greatly to the facility’s safety?

Don explained that because so many activities were happening at once, it was necessary to clearly mark areas designated for these goings-on. For example, a marked aisle for foot traffic and a separately marked aisle for forklifts would keep walkers from stepping in front of a moving vehicle.

“If you’re not thinking and you step out in one of these forklifts it would be serious,” he said. “We always took safety as number one. I used to tell my employees that there isn’t an engine worth building if someone gets killed, hurt or maimed.”

While striping is obviously vital to maintain safety for workers, it’s also exceptionally important to ensure the safety of visitors. Unfamiliar with the day-to-day operations of the facility, tour groups and inspectors could easily wander into off-limits areas or near dangerous machinery. But with the bright and clearly marked striping lines, they are able to easily understand the facility’s safety procedures. As Don says, “It made it real straightforward.”

In addition to safety, striping also keeps a facility running smoothly and efficiently. Areas marked specifically for deliveries can be kept clear of other objects, allowing incoming materials to be quickly and easily placed and found.

“It was a lot of common sense type stuff. It seemed to work real well for us,” said Don, who regularly called on Lakeside’s commercial painters to check for paint wear and make adjustments when needed.

For more information about safety striping, contact Lakeside Painting online or at (262) 642-9445.

Creating a grand scheme of paint colors for one's home is no easy task. And though exteriors consist of one color, the perception is that it is an easy choice, but alas, it does require a certain amount of thinking. 

A number of factors will influence the color or stain used. Below, we take a look at a few of them. 

Setting

This isn't exactly obvious, but setting does determine to a degree the look of a home's exterior. A home located deep in the country is not exactly calling for a hot pink or other garrish color, nor is something in an upper scale community—such a choice would look out of place in both. One wants to be free in the choice of color, but it should not call too much attention to itself in the quest for a great aesthetic appearance. Also, a green color in a wooded area will camouflage the paint job. Not a good idea. 

There are a range of colors available to the painter, some more adventurous than others, that can be shown to the homeowner. It is best to consult an experience painting contractor to settle on the right exterior look for your home. 

An earthy, natural setting will require earth tones. In a more architecturally-adventurous neighborhood, more modern exterior looks can be explored, especially if the home's structure is artistic in its own right. 

The Age of the House

This is another aspect of exterior painting not always considered. A very old house, something from Wisconsin's early history, for instance, will require an exterior paint job that fits the architecture but also updates the look to current color trends. Just as noted above, a garrish look is not advised, but it's not too often that homeowners are intent on exploring such adventures in color. 

On the other hand, a painting contractor could help you duplicate the original paint job typical of homes from that period.

Match the Exterior's Color to the Interior

An interior color, whether it be the color of the walls, furnishings or other objects, can all be used to inspire an exterior look. Some restraint should be used in this regard, because what you don't want is a home completely outfitted in the same color.

Use what you find in your home as inpiration. If you like the look of one or a few colors, ask a painting contractor of the look would work for your exterior. Multiple colors can be chosen, especially for the home's shutters, doors, windows, decks and any columns. Too many colors, on the other hand, creates too much information and will just look plain bad. 

Will it Sell?

Not all homeowners think of the possiblity that you might one day sell your house and the paint job might prove critical in selling it! While you should always try to satisfy your personal taste first, do keep in mind that the color scheme and it's condition will be the first thing that potential buyers will see.

Pick colors and the quality of paint with that in mind. 

One of the costliest overhead costs for a commercial enterprise, particularly in the manufacturing sector, is that of corrosion. Not only does rust corrode pipes, walls and machinery, but it corrodes profit. Not good. And this is where a professional, quality paint job surpasses a cheap stop-gap job that needs constant repair and re-painting.

Surface Preparation

Prep work is key. In fact, it is more than key—it is absolutely essential and cost-effective. The best paint application in the world will not prevent corrision if the surface isn't prepped properly. Lakeside Painting sees this all the time when we're brought into repair cheap and hasty work.

To do this properly, the painter must thoroughly clean the surface. This is a job in and of itself. Since there are various surfaces such as brick, aluminum, steel and galvanized metal, etc., various types of preparation will be required.

Application of Paint

For paint application, the first step is paint selection. The right paint will do the right job and will save commercial and industrial business owners a lot of money in the long run. Painting interiors is fundamentally different from painting exteriors. Weather conditions must be taken into account when selecting a corrosion control paint. Humidity, for instance, demands specific paints.

Paint is typically applied by sprayers since it is the most efficient and fast application method. However, brushes can be used for tough angles and rollers can be substituted for a sprayer in smaller commercial spaces.

An oft-ignored or forgotten trick for increasing any room's decorative quotient is the use of crown molding. If the proper crown molding is used and painted, an otherwise drab and boring room can quickly shift to something more vintage or classy, and it won't require a great deal of money either.

Below, we here at Lakeside Painting have listed a few decorative crown molding ideas for both the DIY enthusiast and any homeowners looking for a new look for their home. 

Decorative Crown Molding With Shadow Boxes

A cool trick that you'll see in some homes is the complimentary use of crown molding and shadow boxes. For those unfamiliar with shadow boxes, they are a type of molding that are installed in the middle of walls, creating a very classical, Victorian look. Shadow boxes, if done well, are very attractive to the eye, and can either be painted the same color as the wall or contrasted with the main wall color.

Crown Molding Painted Gold

Ceilings can be rather boring. Installing ornate crown molding will, in and of itself, instantly enhance the room's visual attractiveness and aesthetic. Now, what rooms would be best served by such crown molding? Well, homeowners are only limited by their imagination, cost and concerns of room-to-room variety. That said, ornate crown molding would function well and look great in a dining room, study/library and a master bedroom. Another option is to install such molding in an entertainment room, a place that is a gathering place for the family. 

Once installed, it's time to pick a paint color or stain. Let's consider paint for the moment, though. 

If you're a homeowner looking for a dynamic look, think of asking a painting contractor to paint the crown molding a metallic color, such as metallic gold, contrasted with a cream color for the ceiling and walls. This will create a very classical, antique or even Art Deco look.  

Stain the Crown Molding

Instead of painting crown molding, we also recommend stains. Any number of stains can be chosen and the benefit here is that the grain's natural beauty can be seen and highlighted. It goes without saying that the crevices of the molding will be darker than the protruding services, but this will only make the molding's three-dimensionality that much more dynamic. 

This look would work well in both rustic and country homes as well as in modern, city dwellings. 

Pair the Crown Molding With Wallpaper

Do not mistake this for wallpaper that mimics crown molding or enhances pre-existing molding. What we're suggesting here is that instead of painting a room's walls after installing crown molding, think about finding a really amazing wallpaper—vintage, modern, artistic, etc.—and then have the crown molding installed. 

Check out a few of our wallpaper suggestions for ideas: Flavor Paper's Onda, Thibeau Design's Canterbury Collection, and Majestic Black & White Damask Wallpaper. 

You’ve spent hours looking through magazines and exploring design concepts online. Now you’re finally ready to bring your home decorating ideas to life. But regardless of how much energy you’ve put into planning and preparing, it’s difficult to perfectly envision the outcome. Painting a small area of the wall with your color of choice helps ensure you’ll be satisfied with the results. It also gives Lakeside Painting confidence that not only will you be delighted with the attentive service and professionalism of our painting contractors, you’ll be pleased with all aspects of the painting experience.

In addition to a myriad of color samples available at paint retail stores, businesses are happy to offer customers quart-size cans of paint for just this purpose. Oftentimes, decorators who are uncertain of an exact color or shade will purchase two samples, painting the sample colors side-by-side. Be sure to apply two coats to ensure the sample will match the final wall color.

The samples should also be applied on several areas of the wall where lighting may differ. Interior painting can be tricky. Light from a window will obviously make a color brighter and more vibrant. Far walls, especially corners, will often cause the color to appear several shades darker, creating a look that doesn’t fit with your overall image for the room. Even interior design experts find it not uncommon that once the paint is applied, the color is not what was expected.

Don’t be disappointed if the color doesn’t turn out to be just what you had in mind. Now you can be rest assured that your end decision will help create that picture-perfect room you’ve anticipated.

After you’re confident your color choice is sound, there’s just one final step. Call Lakeside Painting to bring about the long-awaited transformation. Contact us online or by phone at (800) 642-9445.

When it comes to home improvement projects, many of us think twice and delay when it's crunch time because the costs often seem to exceed our budgets. Not so fast. There are always ways to save money in the short-term and the long-term. And with the kitchen being the hub of activity for families, especially those with children and young adults, the best way to reinvigorate domestic life and to save money at the same time is to work on the cabinets. 

Instead of replacing cabinets, which might be the first impulse for certain homeowners, here are a few low-cost, creative options. 

Paint It White

This may seem a little bit too "Leave It To Beaver," but believe us at Lakeside Painting: if you have those cabinets of yours painted white, and then accent them with another themed color for kitchen appliances and accoutrements, or even the walls, then the cabinets will look brilliant and classy. 

Go Tuscan

We've covered the Tuscan Look on our blog before, but in case you are new to the Lakeside Painting blog or the memory has faded, here's a refresher:

The Tuscan Look employs a lot of earth tones such as various hues of yellow, burnt sienna, brown, sage green, ochre, rusty red or even even gold. A terra cotta color that resembles baked red ceramics is also a wise choice.  It is rustic and inviting, and we here at Lakeside Painting have seen the style gaining in popularity in Southeastern Wisconsin.

For those with more daring aesthetics, remove the doors and keep the cabinets open. This will allow the cabinets to display display ceramics, baskets, pots and pans and other kitchen utensils. We've helped our customers achieve this look before and we can confirm that it looks great. 

Contrast Upper and Lower Cabinets

Another vibrant looks can be achieved if the upper and lower cabinets are contrasted. That is, one displays a darker color or stain, while the other a lighter color. It would be best to give the upper the lighter color, as it will look less odd and will also serve to create a more expansive atmosphere in the kitchen. 

The Distressed or Lived-In Look

Another subject we've covered here is the "Lived-In" or Distressed Look, which is a decorative painting technique that Lakeside Painting is often asked to employ. 

There are various ways to achieve this look, but first and foremost a glaze can be added to walls to make surfaces appear older and more rustic. We’ve done rathskellers in homeowners’ basements, for instance, by using a glaze, a thinner paint or varnish to create a translucent quality to the wood or plaster. Layer it up with various colors, then distress it with chains, bags of bolts, sandpaper, chisels—anything you can find to give the surface a distressed look. 

You can also use an aging glaze or tea stain to make the surface look dirty.  It adds patina, which occurs naturally with surfaces over time.  Add pigment to a varnish, like an amber or a green to a kitchen table and its chairs, and it will appear as though you found the table in a vintage shop.

This look is wonderful for the kitchen. 

Go Modern

There are any number of ways to create a modern look for a kitchen's cabinetry. One of the best ways of doing this is by paying attention to interior painting trends and, in particular, current popular kitchen looks. A striking color such as red or orange is quite modern, as is a paint infused with a shimmering powder. 

Another way to go is with a modern, industrial look. This technique only works with cabinets made of metal, which can be sandblasted and polished to create a modern, minimal and artsy aesthetic. 

If you're in the Southeastern Wisconsin and Greater Milwaukee area and have any questions on these various cabinet looks, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com

Gem Turqouise 

This is a no-brainer as far as summer color trends are concerned, but a lot of homeowners don't think turquoise when painting their homes. The why of this is a bit of a mystery—it's a fantastic looking color. It's beautiful and evokes the color of seaside towns. There is a bliss and serenity to it that is absent in many other colors available to painters. 

Gem Turqouise could be applied to great effect in a kitchen or dining room, for instance, and even bedrooms. Naturally, it would be a great color for Wisconsin lakehouses. 

Marmalade Orange

Benjamin Moore offers Marmalade Orange, which they describe as "Evoking the bright burst of flavor of homemade marmalade, this cheerful mid-tone is confident and assertive." We agree, but we'll add that this color would be a truly unique choice for a home interior.

When it comes to painting the house, painting a wall is a simple enough task to execute for most people. One area many folks can struggle with however is how to go about painting a ceiling. Gravity is working against the paint and it is often awkward going about finding the best practice to paint your walls comfortably and quickly. Below we will go over a few easy steps to make sure your ceilings look great.

Prepare Your Room
Let’s just get this out of the way: paint will drip on and around you when you paint a ceiling. Gravity is not your friend in this instance. Having said that, what is the best way to prep a room that needs its ceiling painted? Two things should be done. Remove as much furniture and items from the room as possible, and then cover the floors and any remaining items with plastic drop cloths. The more room you have to move, the quicker and more comfortable you can paint. The fewer items you have to worry getting interior paint on, the less you have to worry about.

Tape
Unless you are fortunate enough to be painting the walls and ceiling the same color, you will want to apply blue painter’s tape to where the edges of the walls and the ceilings meet. While tape may not be necessary for a professional painting contractor, it is highly recommended to utilize such tape if you are a novice or “do-it-yourself” painter.  While it does take time to apply, you’ll be thankful for one less thing to worry about when it comes time for your next steps.

Prime and Paint
The prior steps have led us here; actually applying paint to your ceiling. Most would suggest to first prime the ceiling before you apply your actual paint. The primer will assure a strong bond for the paint (since gravity is working against your paint you want all the adherence you can get), and increase the overall durability of the paint job. Moving onto paint, while you are welcome to any color you choose, most professionals would suggest a flat white finish for your ceiling. A flat white finish reflects light to help brighten a room, and the color gives a sense of open space. For both your primer and your paint, utilize the standard paint roller. Don’t overcompensate on the telescoping pole of the roller, get only the height necessary for your ceiling. Using a roller can become tiring after awhile and the less weight you have to hold up, the happier your arms will be.

If you follow the steps above, you should be able to paint your ceiling with little trouble. If you have additional questions or you plan on needing to tackle additional home painting projects, we would love to be of service. Our paint contractors can help make your painting ideas a reality. Contact Lakeside Painting online, or reach us by phone at (800) 642-9445 for a free consultation today.

Giving your home or business interior a new look is as easy as lifting a brush. One technique that is quite common is Strie Painting, otherwise known as Dragging. Lakeside Painting has done this for a number of homes and businesses in Wisconsin, particularly in the Milwaukee-area. 

A variety of brushes can be used for Strie Painting. Closely-spaced paint bristle yield closer, finer stripes. Widely-spaced bristles will, on the other hand, yield a more robust, noticeable stripe. Strie Painting also requires two colors: one will be for the base coat, the other for the second coat. This helps add to the effect left on the wall's surface by the bristles. This technique will require a base color, decorator's glaze, a second color (to mix with the glaze), tape and, of course, the desired brushes.

Typically, a professional painter will first apply a lighter base color. Two base coats might be necessary. Wait about 24 hours before applying the the glaze. Be sure to tape off baseboards and the ceiling. Once that is done, mix the glaze with the second color and apply to the wall with a roller. Quickly, before the glaze dries, run the paint brushes either vertically or horizontally across the walls, but watch for overlap. 

It's critical to decide on the color or two colors beforehand, so you aren't left staring slack-jawed at the wall in frustration when it's all said and done. And be sure to move furniture prior to painting.

For more questions on Strie Painting, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at 262.642.9445.

For those looking to be environmentally-friendly while simultaneously maintaining a healthy home or business interior, there are some new Sherwin-Williams paint products on the way. 

Sherwin-Williams is releasing the Emerald™ Interior and Exterior paints and ColorCast Eco Toners™, which they describe as "the highest performing, environmentally responsible paints and colorants in the industry." Zero VOC, of course, means that the paint contains no volatile organic compounds, which can effect the air quality of a home or business interior. 

According to Sherwin-Williams, the Emerald paints and ColorCast Eco Toner colorants are Zero VOC, which is great news for environmentally-friendly households. The Emerald Interior and Exterior paints are highly durable and self-priming; which means the finish will be high quality with fewer coats. The company also notes that along with Emerald, "all Sherwin-Williams latex and water-based paints will be tinted with ColorCast Eco Toners, which provide outstanding color accuracy and vibrancy, making Sherwin-Williams the only company that can tint its full line of colors with zero VOC colorants."

That's certainly good news. More recently, low and zero VOC paints were limited in color range. Not the case anymore. This should push the industry forward and that's a good thing for painters, customers and the environment. 

"Sherwin-Williams has always been at the forefront of innovation. These products set an unprecedented standard in paint by driving product breakthroughs in quality and environmental responsibility," said Steve Revnew, vice president of product innovation, Sherwin-Williams. "We have created a new paint line and colorant system that stands in a class of its own – no other paint company can match the quality and environmental standards we are delivering."

The Emerald Interior also prevents stains from penetrating the paint, making it easier to clean up surfaces, while resisting water streaking and spotting. Emerald Interior is also "GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality certified, emits minimal odor and features anti-microbial properties that inhibit the growth of mold and mildew on the paint film." Another plus is that it is backed by a lifetime warranty. 

These paints will be available in Sherwin-Williams stores nationwide on July 1, 2012.

If you have any questions about Sherwin-Williams new paints for your home and business, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

The tales are long and many when it comes to amateur home painters. Half-finished home exteriors or interior paint jobs. A deck only partially stained. Cabinets removed for refinishing or re-staining and weeks later they haven't been returned. It happens all the time in Wisconsin. 

With painters such as these, the business model (if it can even be called a business model) is to book jobs fast and furiously and then take their time finishing the job. Not only do these painters care little for time, they also care little for true craftmanship. Naturally, homeowners won't get a warranty out of these characters. Also, these painters will likely avoid the costs of becoming certified in handling lead paint or removing hazardous materials. That is a big red flag.

A number of these painting businesses will not have obtained a business license. And those that have will not be able to offer any proof that they are competent and well-trained. 

We call these characters fly-by-night contractors. Anyone with a truck, a ladder and some painting whites can call themsleves a painter, but this is not the reality many homeowners experience. Fly-by-night contractors offer great prices, bragging that they will match or beat their competitors, but they cannot offer a long-established reputation, testimonials or other references from happy customers. They also won't offer any sort of guarantee on the job. This is, of course, one of the biggest red flags when it comes to fly-by-night painters.

It is far better to opt for established painting contractors who are known and respected as painting professionals. Experience does make a difference. 

Most anyone can get paint on a brush, but what do you do when it’s time to get paint off your brush? Below, we will go over some easy steps utilized by many painters for properly cleaning your brush.  The truth of the matter is paintbrushes are expensive; by properly caring for them you will get a better return on investment.  Keep reading for a great way to keep your brushes clean.

What kind of paint is it?
Are you using an oil paint or a latex paint? How you answer will affect what solution you’ll need to clean your brush. If you use latex paint cleaning will only require a mixture of warm water and some soap solution. Oil paint is tougher. Cleaning will require the use of paint thinner or mineral spirits. Remember this when reading the next section covering solutions.

Mix Your Solution
For your latex based paints, use a small container (a standard mop bucket does the trick) and fill it with warm water and a few teaspoons of liquid soap. Work the brush back and forth in the solution quickly for around half a minute. If you still notice paint in the brush repeat the process one more time. A quick rinse under the sink will then remove any traces of what paint might be leftover. For your oil paint solution, using protective gloves, fill your small container with a few inches of paint thinner or mineral spirits.  Lightly work your brush back and forth in the solution for around thirty seconds.  Gently push the brush against the sides of the container to wring out excess thinner then towel dry the brush. Since you will be working with thinner or mineral spirits always remember to properly dispose of those materials. They are flammable and toxic.

Dry it and store it.
Now that your brush is clean, you need to let it dry.  Hanging the brushes up and allowing them to air dry is a great way to properly dry a brush. If time is of the essence you need a paintbrush spinner. This tool spins liquid off the brush so it dries quickly. You can buy a paintbrush spinner at most home improvement stores. Once your brush is dry, place it in the protective sleeve it came in upon purchase.

Whether you are looking for helpful tips, painting ideas, or assitance with your upcoming painting projects, Lakeside Painting would love to be a part of it. If you would like to speak with a paint contractor, or set up a free consultation in regards to a paint service, contact us online or via telephone at (800) 642-9445 today.

One of the many arrows in Lakeside Painting's quiver is the pressurized cleaning method known as Dry Ice Blast Cleaning. 

Also known as CO2 Blast Cleaning, Dry Ice Blasting utilizes dry ice pellets projected at supersonic speeds to clean various surfaces such as food processing plant equipment, turbines and generators. It's also used to remove fire and soot damage, oil and paint from surface such as brick and concrete, amongst others. Upon impact, the pellets create microscopic shock waves that remove the undesirable residue from the surface.

"One place we've used it as at GE Energy in Waukesha, "says Lakeside Painting President Joe Pangburn. "We've used it to clean their spray boths, where they paint their engines. Once a year we go in and Dry Ice the paint-build up from over-sprays."

One of the many upsides to Dry Ice Blasting is that it doesn't generate any harmful chemicals or lingering odors. It also complies with the FDA, EPA and USDA rules. The pellets can also penetrate into extremely tight crevices and, unlike sand and sponge blasting (which leave particles behind), clean-up is minimal. The soft pellets are non-flammable, non-abrasive and non-conductive—meaning, they do not conduct heat or electricity. 

"The reason we use it is because there's nothing to clean up except the paint particles. If we sand or sponge-blasted, we'd have to clean up the sand and sponge particles as well. It's more efficient," notes Pangburn. "When we find that Dry Ice Blasting is not the right method, we will sometimes use Sponge Blasting."

If you have any other questions about Dry Ice Blasting for your plant or manufacturing facility, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

No matter the painting project, interior painting or exterior painting, the first suggested step when painting many unfinished surfaces is to apply primer. Priming the object that will be painted helps to ensure that paint adheres more strongly, which means longer lasting more durable paintjobs. This is why it is so often one of the first steps in the initial surface preparation for your project.  There are different primers for different tasks. Below we will outline some of the main categories of primers.

Oil-Based

Oil-based primers are one of the most commonly used primers. They work well with both oil-based and acrylic paints so it’s a great choice for a variety of painting projects. You may want to seriously consider an oil based primer if you are painting wood.  An oil-based primer can penetrate deeply into the wood fibers, which ensures a strong bond. It works well with finished, unfinished, or weathered woods. One negative to keep in mind with all oil-based products is that the fumes can be harmful without proper ventilation, and any sort of thinning or cleanup of paint will require harsh paint thinners or mineral spirits.

Acrylic

Acrylic Primers, also known as Latex Primers, are great due to their tolerance to moisture prone areas such as bathrooms. Utilize an acrylic based primer if you are using water based paints. You can also take comfort in knowing since it is more flexible than oil-based primer there are less instances of cracking or peeling. This also means that it certain climates (mainly humid areas), where materials such as wood can expand and contract with the weather, latex affords the flexibility to help avoid cracks for a linger period of time. An additional bonus is that, being water based, it is much easier to clean with soap and water in the event of a spill while painting.

Shellac

Shellac isn’t as popular as oil or acrylic primers, but it excels in covering stains and odors. If you are repainting a surface that has severe staining or strong odors caused by smoke damage, flooding, cooking, rust, etc., shellac is an excellent option for sealing in odors and hiding those stains.

While we have described some of the main primers, there are many options available to you. If you feel that you need more guidance for what will fit your needs best, or if you would like to you speak with one of our paint contractors to assist in the completion of a project, contact Lakeside Painting online, or by telephone at (845) 878-3444 for advice or an estimate.

In Milwaukee and all throughout Wisconsin, acid rain, UV radiation, snow, ice and humidity present a constant attack on both commercial exterior surfaces. It's not all about the elements, however. Since a commercial business's exterior also functions a marketing tool and a projection of a healthy and prosperous business culture, it is critical that exteriors be maintained annually and given an attractive aesthetic.

Yes, us commercial business owners want a strong visual presence in our communities but also in relation to other businesses.

Lakeside Painting provides premium exterior painting services to commercial and industrial facilities such as Hospitals, Schools, Corporate Offices, Hotels & Restaurants, Government Buildings, Agricultural and Manufacturing Facilities. Within these commercial business structures and properties are a number of things that need work including: painting block, brick, concrete, and metal; painting or retouching logos or murals on exterior surfaces; maintenance of masonry surfaces, such as grinding and caulking staircracking, and control joint removal and replacement; and tuckpointing the mortar in bricks, blast cleaning and power washing, waterproofing (critical for winter and the spring rains), elastomeric coatings, corrision control, and parking lot and aisle striping.

Lots of things for a commercial business owner to be thinking about, to be sure; but the alternative is to let a commercial building structure slowly succumb to Earth's forces (gravity, the elements, etc.) and project an indifferent public image. One will save you money in the long run, while the other might well help you make money. 

To make this work easier on yourself, give Lakeside Painting a call if you are in the greater Milwaukee area and Southeastern Wisconsin.

Why do we paint stuff: Is it to make it look good or to make it last longer?

Well, a little of both, in my opinion, but mostly to protect it. Paint was first used to decorate cave walls and tell stories. As time went on people figured out paint would protect what had taken many hours of craft, while making it look better in the process.

To my mind, protection is the major reason we paint our exterior surfaces, whereas color or appearance (aesthetics) is a benefit of this protection. Interior surfaces are also protected; however, decoration is what drives this market, just as in the the caves where artists painted the walls to make it look a bit nicer.

Paints or other typs of coating protect our cherished belongings from nature's ceaseless efforts to break everything back down to dust. Through erosion, oxidation and brute force, like the freeze-thaw cycle that crumbles mountains of granite, Mother Nature wants to take it all back and paint is one of or our best options to slow down this process. We can never stop it completely, but keeping paint fresh and well-maintained can certainly help.

Paint accomplishes this task by keeping moisture out and slowing the ultraviolet rays of the sun from oxidizing and destroying surfaces. It can also keep wind from pushing the moisture in, which benefits us and our heat bills as well. A well-protected home will save you money in the long run by drastically minimizing unnecessary and costly repairs, and by creating greater energy efficiency.

And, besides, you and your home will look good in the process.

Looking for a low-cost but incredibly easy and attractive method of enhancing your home's exterior atmosphere? For all you Wisconsin homeowners, it's time to drag your yard and deck furniture out and ready it for summer!

Some yard and deck furniture simply needs a touch-up here and there, but other pieces—whether wood or metal—require something a bit more drastic; especially if they've endured the elements over many years.

The first instinct is to sand down, clean and repaint or restain the furniture to make it resemble its former look. That is, the look it had when delivered and assembled. While there is nothing wrong with this option, Lakeside Painting suggests homeowners consider a radical change in color. As noted in last week's blog, "The Top Spring 2012 Home Decor Color Trends for Wisconsin," Spring 2012 is ripe (pun intended) with a variety of intensely beautiful and vibrant colors, such as Turquoise, Apple Green, Tangerine Tango, Solar Power Yellow, Sodalite Blue, Bellflower (Purple), Cabaret (Pink), Margarita, Sweet Lilac, Driftwood, Cockatoo and Starfish (a sort of desert/safari color).

Why not paint a set of wooden deck table and chairs Solar Power Yellow or Apple Green for the coming summer months? Want a Caribbean look, such as that found in Puerto Rico or even in Brazil? Pair Cabaret with Turquoise. Or, if vibrant colors are not desired, why not mix the wood finish up with a lighter or dark stain?

For more ideas on transforming your yard or deck furniture, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

With the Spring now officially upon us in Southern Wisconsin, let Lakeside Painting lead you through a selection of Spring 2012 home decor color and design trends. We covered a number of colors earlier in the year in our blog, "2012 Color Trends for Wisconsin," but we have picked our favorites and added a few others.

Turquoise, a classic but also vibrant color, is first on the list. Consider pairing it with a slightly lighter or darker hue to create contrast. For instance, homeowners could create striped walls or have two facing walls painted one hue, and the other opposing walls painted another hue. Another fantastic choice is Apple Green, which can be paired with a variety of reds. A Soft Green would also work well in place of an Apple Green.

As noted in the "2012 Color Trends" blog, we here at Lakeside Painting are also big fans of Solar Power and Tangerine Tango. Solar Power is attractive and vibrant, and would look great in homes and shop fronts alike. It creates a sense of warmth and hints at the summer just months away. Tangerine Dream also creates warmth, but it's a much bolder choice, which will require some thought on the room's interior design before painting. That said, interior designer and TV personality Sabina Vavra has called Tangerine the "it color of spring."

Muted Blues are another choice for those not so hip to the idea of rooms painted in yellow, tangerine and turquoise. Muted blues are classy, relaxing and look great in all seasons.

If you're a homeowner interested in mixing things up a bit, why not try a floral wallpaper instead? Wallpaper is undergoing something of a renaissance; which means there's no shortage of looks. A sun room, for instance, could be covered in a floral wallpaper design.

For more Spring 2012 home painting ideas, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

With spring coming to Wisconsin rather early this year (if current temperatures hold), we will suddenly find ourselves taking care of some spring maintenance early. Don't worry, Lakeside Painting will help you get through some spring chores easily, and make sure your home or business is in good working order.

Check for Leaks

Leaks can spring up in a number of areas. Check for your ceiling, roofs and attics for leaks, but also check any doors, windows and areas near heavy plumbing (sinks, baths, washroom, water heater, pools, jacuzzis, etc.). Also, check your gutters. Chances are that you won't have any leaks, but it never hurts to check. Finding a leak in its early stages will prevent the problem from growing into a very expensive repair project.

Check Your Decks

Another problem area is the deck. All winter fall and winter long it has been exposed to the elements; and with the spring showers and summer thunderstorms (not to mention heat and humidity) coming, the deck will only experience more punishment.

Look warping, water damage, stains, mold and mildew. Get a professional in early to clean, treat, stain or paint the deck promptly. Again, you'll be happy you did because early action keeps costs low.

Landscape

Spring is as good a time as any to do some landscaping after the ravages of winter, and it will look great when entertaining guests during the summer months.

As Lakeside Painting's Kim Pangburn notes, "Some Wisconsin counties offer tree conversation programs. I think you can buy trees at a discounted rate. This is encouraged to replenish trees and, at the end of the day, you are part of Earth Day."

Repaint or Restain Outdoor Furniture

This isn't always necessary if home or business owners were wise enough to bring outdoor furniture in to storage over the winter months. If you happened to leave the furniture out, though, and it looks worse for the wear, consider repainting or restaining the pieces, whether they are made out of metal or wood.

Inspect the Home or Business's foundation.

When the heavy spring rains come along, water can pool in low-lying areas, creating a risk of basement flooding. Look for these areas and ensure they are filled in properly with soil. Also, look for any cracks in the foundation through which water might seep.

Check for Woodpecker Holes

This may sound funny, but Woodpeckers do in fact make holes in houses. Lakeside Painting has some experience in patching and repaint the woodpecked holes.

One of the best places to advertise your company is right at your feet. That's right, look down and imagine your company's logo on your factory floor or office space's common area. 

Lakeside Painting hand-paints logos and other decals on company floors and walls with a variety of colors, for both industrial flooring and commerical spaces. The service is part of our Epoxy Coating and Safety Striping service. 

As Lakeside President Joe Pangburn states, "We are often asked to hand-paint company logos or decals on flooring or walls. We've done this work for GE, RockTenn and Charter Automatic's logo in high-traffic areas, so people can see them, especially guests. Everything is done by hand: we copy and paint the logo with epoxy so that it's permanent."

Keep in mind, however, that hand-painting is fundamentally different than simply applying a vinyl graphic logo, which won't last.

We are not limited to logos, however. We can also hand-paint or stencil images or graphics that relate to your business's product(s). Read more about this in our blog "5 Ideas for Painting Office Walls."

Spring isn't just about budding trees, flowers, the fresh smell in the air, and that extra hop in your step. As painting companies like Lakeside Painting attempt to fill out their spring schedules, the best deals can be had for your next exterior painting project.

As Lakeside Painting's President, Joe Pangburn, states, "Smart shoppers save money when companies want to fill out their schedule. I offer my best prices when I am hungry."

Joe notes, however, that "being aware of early spring offers should, of course, be followed up by common sense. Customers should speak with the painting professionals themselves, and ask to see recent work and what type of guarantees are offered. A professional will stand behind his work, and customers will sense that immediately."

Once the schedule is almost full, pricing strategies become bolder; which makes the next month or so the ideal time to start thinking about your exterior painting project.

As Joe adds, "Being first in line can be worth the effort sometimes. You get the best seats in the stadium if you act early. Once the event is sold out, the prices are always higher."

This goes for homeowners, as well as commercial and industrial businesses. Lower prices for a large exterior project—a manufacturing plant, for instance—will really benefit the business.

Does your office or retail store need some sprucing up or a complete makeover? Fear not! Lakeside Painting has you covered with a few ideas.

Themed Mural

A mural needn't be something amateur-looking or completely in-your-face. Instead of painting an entire wall as a mural, use one solid color, perhaps a red or gray, then use stencils of objects or ideas that relate to your business.

For instance, if you own a technology company, use a stencil of electric circuitry. If you own a hair salon, have a few silhouettes of well-coiffed men and women stenciled on the wall. Doggy day-care? Simple: again, pick a solid color for the base, then maybe have contemporary art renderings of your favorite four-legged critters. Cafe? Stencil some coffee beans!

Faux Finish

A variety of faux finish techniques exist that can be utilized creatively and cheaply for your office walls. At Lakeside Painting, we are big fans of "antiquing," the process of giving a surface a vintage or "lived-in" look. It's also called the "Cottage Look." (Read our "Cottage Look" blog for some ideas with these techniques).

You can also give walls bronzing or gold effects for a more elegant look.

Wallpaper

As we have noted with our "Wallpaper of the Week" series, there are a number of striking, vibrant, and original wallcoverings out there in America. You might say that the 21st century is the Age of Wallpaper. Go Victorian if you want something classical for your office or store's walls. Or if you are looking for something more daring, check out Flavor Paper's designs. 

Frottage Leather Walls

Bored with all other conventional wall designs and painting schemes? Consider giving your office or store's walls a frottage leather design.

Frottage leather walls involve a subtractive process, in which a base and coat are applied, followed by the application of plastic sheeting. Once the sheeting has been applied, a brush is manipulated over the plastic to give the paint an irregular surface, full of different impressions to simulate the look of leather. It also looks rather like what you see when viewing paper close-up.

Paint Shelves & Furniture

Are your walls looking just fine but everything else looks drab and boring? Think of painting shelves and furniture in a variety of vibrant colors. You'll bring much-needed color to the office or store space, and it will lift both customer and employee spirits. It's also a great but subtle form of marketing: project the image you want.

If you stop by Lakeside Painting's booth at the Plant & Facilities Maintenance Association (PFMA) Expo, held at the Wisconsin Expo Center at State Fair Park, you'll have a chance to win a free pheasant hunt.

The prize is a 15-bird, fully-guided pheasant hunt at Milford Hills hunt club, sporting center, and restaurant and bar. Check out the place at Millford Hills website.

This Wednesday and Thursday (February 29, March 1), Lakeside Painting will be exhibiting our plants and facilities painting services at the annual Plant & Facilities Maintenance Association (PFMA) Expo held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The PMFA Expo is being held at the Wisconsin Expo Center at State Fair Park. 

PMFA is a not for profit organization that "fosters an exchange of information among maintenance professionals." According to the PMFA website:

Attendees have opportunities to learn about products and services that help them in the daily operations of their plant or facility. In addition, the Expo Seminars present opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of various products, services, and/or to meet certification requirements in their field.

A great deal of Lakeside Painting's work comes about through the painting and servicing of plants and factories. We offer a range of painting services for such facilities, and so if you're interested in speaking with us, stop by the Expo and drop by our booth. We would be happy to chat with both returning and potential customers.

We offer the following lists of services for plants and factories: Structural Steel Painting, Epoxy Coatings, Elastomeric Coatings, Multi-colored Coatings (Multi-spec, Poly-mix & Zolatone), Corrosion Control, Intumescent & Fire-Retardant Paint, Floor Safety Markings, Machinery Painting, Concrete Finishes, Masonry Control Joint Removal & Replacement, Dry Ice Blasting & Sponge Blasting, Parking Lot & Aisle Striping, Light Carpentry Repair and Tuckpointing & Staircracking Repair.

One of the more frustrating and physically-demanding tasks of an interior paint job is the art of moving furniture around. Now, general opinion would seem to dictate that homeowners move furniture toward the center of the room. However, this isn't necessarily the only, or even the best, option in moving furniture. 

First, piling everything into the center of the room doesn't exactly create the best working conditions. Painters, or homewowners who plan to do some DiY painting, will quickly find out that their range of movement can be quite limited. Depending on the amount of furniture and object s in the room, it might also effect a painter's ability to effectively use a roller. We suggest moving the furniture out of the room; and if that is not ideal, and you do not want to move the contents to the center, paint the room in halves as a last resort. That said, we don't do this very often and we really recommend moving the entire contents of the room out. 

If a couch or a bed frame are too heavy to move, simply cover them. As Lakeside Painting President Joe Pangburn notes, "If it’s too heavy or impossible to move, then you need to cover and protect it. We have wrapped baby grand pianos with new fleece blankets, first to avoid scratching them. Then we add moving pads in to protect them from bumps, followed by plastic to contain dust."

Which leads us to our next point: Be sure to move things around with care. The last thing that you want is damaged furniture, precious items, walls or doors. You also don't want to scuff and scratch wood floors, or tear carpets. One techique that Lakeside Painting employs is the use of moving pads in sliding dressers out of the room.

Also, empty cabinets and drawers of their contents so as to reduce the weight of the objects—this will in turn reduce the burden on your back. You will thank us later for this suggestion. And when practical, use dollies and carts. This will also save your back. 

And, lastly, be safe. Back injuries are not good, but worse injuries can result if caution is not taken in moving furniture prior to a paint job. 

Here are some more tips over at doityourself.com.

This week's entry in "Wallpaper of the Week" belongs to The Gardens of Amsterdam series.

The design is a Gold semi-reflective pattern on a black background. The effect is classic and beautiful, but also very modern in its design. This is the type of wallcovering that would look great in a master bedroom, or in a business space like a hair salon or bar specializing in the art of mixology. 

However, it's exactly the type of wallpaper to cover vast swaths of a home or business. This wallpaper is definitely best used in moderation despite its looks.

To check out more designs in this series, head over to DesignYourOwnWall.com.

Ideally, the best time to undertake exterior paint projects, whether it be home or business, is in the late spring. Early spring is a bit too rainy and volatile weather-wise to pursue an exterior paint job. But, if weather looks good for week, go ahead with your exterior project. Here at Lakeside Painting, we find that a lot of our Milwaukee-area customers are anxious to have their home looking great for summer after a long, harsh winter.

However, keep in mind that if paint is applied to an exterior in the early, wet months of spring, surfaces can peel, blister, flake and otherwise wreak all sorts of havoc since paint is unable to properly adhere to the surface. Also, early spring has shorter days and it's certainly best have nice, long days of sunlight to help the exterior paint job dry. Thus, it goes without saying that it's best to paint in direct sunlight. 

Lakeside Painting's craftsman are quite adept at painting in these conditions quickly and effectively, covering areas from Waukesha and Racine to Lake Geneva and Pewaukee. 

If you have any questions about spring exerior painting for your next home or business project, please give us a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

The latest entry in Lakeside Painting's "Wallpaper of the Week" is Cavern's "Thatch" wallpaper. According to Cavern's website, "Thatch" is created from "abstract images of barley" and "displays a "unique, organic pattern with folds, braids, and heart-like shapes."

The design comes in black, tan, gray and olive, but we here at Lakeside like the black and white design the best. It's very modern and minimal looking, but still has a fantastic effect the viewer. Of course, this type of abstract design would work best with those homeowners and businesses who are creative and willing to experiment with looks. It would look particularly great in hair salons, bars, clothing stores and really any business that works in creative media.

Stay tuned for next week's entry.

To talk more about wallpaper, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Many homes and businesses feature white baseboards in order to highlight the color of the walls and celings, or even the stains on a wood floor. While this is a great idea, it is not the only way to paint baseboards.

Instead of painting baseboards white, consider painting them a lighter hue of the wall color. So, let's say you have painted a room's walls a dark grey, you could make the baseboards a much lighter shade of grey. If you paint a room with a blue theme for a calming effect, then paint the baseboards or even the crown molding a light hue of that particular blue. It will create contrast like white baseboards, but it will bring a more expansive look to the room.

Do you plan on staining your hardwood floors? Well, then consider applying the very same stain to the baseboards. This is an alternative to either painting the boards white or the same color as the walls, plus it will look snappy. Which leads us to the possibility of painting the baseboards the same color as the walls, which will conceal them but also create the perception that the room is bigger than it actually is.

For more ideas on painting baseboards, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Over the last few years, Wisconsin native Justin Vernon has been recording music as Bon Iver (a play on the French phrase "bon hiver," or "have a good winter") to great critical acclaim. His music has now reached such a cultural height that the latest Bon Iver album has been nominated for Album of the Year, while single "Holocene" has been nominated for Song of the Year at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

Ironically, Vernon expressed an opinion about the absurdity of award shows when asked whether he could envision his band getting nomiated for a Grammy. The criticism for the honest response was a little overboard, especially since Vernon & Co are really just about the music. 

For those unfamiliar with Bon Iver, the project started in 2007 when Vernon moved back to Wisconsin, holing up in a Northern Wisconsin cabin and crafting the Bon Iver debut For Emma, Forever Ago. Since then he's earned accolades across the globe for his spare, crystalline, wintery and highly beautiful folk stylings. 

Here at Lakeside Painting we really enjoy good folk music, and so we hope you enjoy Bon Iver and celebrate the fact that his music is being recognized on a national and global stage.

Below, check out the music video for "Holocene" and the 30-second TV spot for the Grammy Awards featuring Bon Iver's "Holocene."

This week's "Wallpaper of the Week" comes from Brooklyn-based wallpaper design boutique Flavor Paper, which we've covered before in a past "Wallpaper of the Week" for the boutique's Chinatown Tile. Obviously, we like these guys a lot—they are the Willa Wonkas of wallpaper.

The selection this time is "Onda," a design which replicates to a degree the work of famed Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, who is known for several works of art, but perhaps mostly for The Great Wave off Kanagawa, a woodblock print and an example of ukiyo-e art at its finest. 

Flavor Paper's interpretation doesn't greatly depart from Hokusai's print, but there is a noticeable digital look to this wallpaper. It's a great example of appropriating art for another medium—in this case, art for a bedroom or even a study. This paper would require a homeowner or business owner with a sense of boldness, and perhaps an obsession with Japanese artwork.

To talk more about wallpaper, give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

With 2012 now upon us, we here at Lakeside Painting take a look at some color trends for the new year, and advise on which ones would look work best for Milwaukee-area homes and business interiors.

The Pantone Color Institute has released a list of color trends for 2012, among them: Tangerine Tango, Solar Power (yellow), Sodalite Blue, Bellflower (Purple), Cabaret (Pink), Margarita, Sweet Lilac, Driftwood, Cockatoo and Starfish. To see the colors, head over to the Pantone website, which also covers color trends in fashion.

Of these colors, we really like Tangerine Tango with its bold orange bounce, Solar Power's dynamic yellow, Cockatoo's oceanic turquoise variation and the rather Victorian-inspired Margarita. Of those three colors, we think Solar Power is the most instantly attractive and vibrant, and would look great in both homes and certain shop fronts. The advantage with this color is that it would bring warmth to an interior space during the winter months but also look great in the summer! The same goes for Tangerine Tango in a sense, but it's a much bolder choice and would require some serious thought about a given room's total interior design scheme.

We also like Benjamin Moore's choice for 2012 Color of the Year in Wythe Blue, which they describe as a "beautiful, calming hue that has an element of heritage and offers grounding rootedness, providing comfort and stability." We tend to agree. It's a soft and subtle blue that looks great on a ceiling for instance, as you can see in the featured photo, and it seems to work well in combination with other colors. We think this is a great color for Southeastern Wisconsin home owners, whether it be for a dining room or even a new-born's nursery.

The Chicago Tribune also foresees matted metallics like brushed gold shining in 2012. We like metallics here at Lakeside Painting, but in a more limited fashion for Milwaukee-area homeowners, as perhaps an accent to furniture a room's adornments instead of an entire room bedecked in radiant gold. 

Check for some additional color trends as the year progresses.

To talk more about 2012's color trends, please feel free to give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

In the latest installment of Lakeside Painting's "Wallpaper of the Week" series, in which we survey a wide array of wallcoverings, we take a look at not one but several offerings from Thibeau Design.

The collection is called "Canterbury," which simulatenously conjures thoughts of 14th Century poet Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and the look and feel of English countryside elegance. Canterbury, Kent in England is also the birthplace of Elizabethan poet and dramatist Christopher Marlowe. The Canterbury Collection does a rather good job of capturing the spirit of past and present in its 15 disctinct wallpaper designs.

As Thibeau Design writes:

For centuries the English have created the most celebrated gardens across the globe. The Thibaut design studio sought to capture these special gardens within the Canterbury collection. From Dutch topiaries and Romanesque urns to Parisian fountains the collection reflects the varying styles the English used in creating garden treasures.

The various wallpapers range from minimal respresntations of topiary gardens and subtle ferns to laundrette lines and terrace gardens. And each design is offered in a range of colors. 

To see the full range of designs and colors, head over to Thibeau Design.

If you have any questions regarding wallpaper, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

If the winter is starting to cause you great weariness already, consider livening up your home with some warm paint colors. We've talked about using warm colors before to make a room more vibrant, so now we're exploring interior paint colors that could be used to distraact you from the harsh weather outside in our new "Winter Color Series

Applying these colors to walls will give your home the makeover it might well need, while putting you at ease in the process.

Here are our first three color suggestions for the winter weary.

1. Mexicana

The color Mexicana has a very Southwestern look about it—that baked red often found in homes in New Mexico, Arizona and on the other side of the border. It's warm without being eye-popping and would work with a variety of furniture and decorations. Check out a sample over at Benjamin Moore.

2. Lime Green

This is a rather more bold color choice, but it can be wonderfully expressive and uplifting for homeowners. Lime Green would work well for a bedroom or a sun room, and would be best complimented with white furnishings and furniture, or cream hues. Black and white also compliments Lime Green, especially when it comes to framed photographs and pillows. A mocha brown might also be considered since it duplicates the look of the spring and summer months.

3. Forsythia Blossom

This was touted as one of the hottest color trends of 2010 and though its 2012 we still think Forsythia Blossom packs a vibrant punch. It's a yellow hue that is bright but not overpowering. Like Lime Green, it would work best with whites in a bedroom or sun room, but also think of applying it to a kitchen's walls. Combined with newly-stained cabinets, or a vintage effect, Forsythia would look positively gorgeous.

If you have any questions regarding warm colors for winter, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Paint the entertainment center

Any honest Wisconsin citizen will tell you that during the winter a great deal of time is spent before the TV. That is not to say that people do not enjoy winter activities such as skiing, snowboarding, sledding and snowshoeing, only that after a few hours spent outside many just want to relax with a warm drink on their favorite chair and enjoy a favorite TV series.

And so if your entertainment center looks as though it is on the verge of being tossed into the rubbish, we advise our readers and customers to think twice—nearly anything can be made to look new, vibrant or interesting given a little time and creativity.

First, we recommend removing the old paint job or stain, cleaning it properly, then considering what color pallete would work best within the limitations of the room and its current paint job. A top-to-bottom paint job might be necessary after careful consideration, but start with the entertainment center itself.

A vibrant look might well be necessary, but avoid gaudy colors and designs, like the color pink and a marble faux finish, respectively. There is nothing wrong with a marble faux finish, but we think it would look rather odd if applied to an entertainment center. Also, make sure that any redesign will compliment the furniture, photos and other ojbects occupying the room. Be bold but wise.

One of the best aesthetic choices might be to give the entertainment center an "aged" look. This might seem contrary what is stated above, bear with us a moment. The trend in recent years has been toward the look of vintage furnishings. Now there is a difference between something that looks vintage and something that appears tired and ugly. Many vintage shop owners are selling this aged pieces of furniture at significant mark-ups. Have a look around the internet and you will see. A simple paint job can achieve this effect at a fraction of the cost and without the hassle of replacing existing furniture. 

Revitalizing cabinets, tables and desks

The same generally applies for revitalizing cabinets, desks, tables and even fireplaces. A variety of looks and techniques are available from faux finishes to the Tuscan look and vintage aging. 

Homeowners have quite a bit more flexibility with cabinets, desks, tables and fireplaces, because they're more subtle than an entertainment center. As alluded to above, we like the Tuscan look and vintage aging techniques. The look is classy, timeless and infinitely attractive to the eye without bombarding the homeowner and his/her guests with ostentation. 

If you have any questions regarding winter home improvement projects, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

In Lakeside Painting's latest installment of "Wallpaper of the Week," we take a look at selection from Graham & Brown's Poise Collection—Black & White Damask Wallpaper. Damask is a reversible fabric made of either silk, linen, wool, cotton or synthetic fibers with a pattern woven onto it and dates to the Middle Ages.

We recently covered another damask wallpaper, a linen damask by Seabrook Designs' Maison Gallerie Collection, so there's a bit of overlap here, but we really like what Graham & Brown have done with the white and black shades and patterns. It looks elegant but also very modern, while somehow tipping its hat to the Victorian era. No small task, to be sure.

Now, the wallpaper is certainly bold, eye-popping really, but that shouldn't stop certain homeowners from considering it for a dining room, hallway or even bedroom. 

If you have any questions regarding wallpaper, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Since winter can be quite harsh in the Wisconsin environs, Lakeside Painting has prepared 10 tips for surviving winter and being prepared for almost any situation.

1. Warm your car engine before driving. This is common sense but a lot of people simply forget or refuse to do it. For one, you will get your car warm before hopping in to drive to work or school, and you will also ensure that your engine will survive for years to come. If you don't let the engine warm up before putting the stress of driving on it, you run the risk of it breaking down, which is not fun in the bitter cold.

2. Keep headlights clean with car wax. Ordinary car wax contains water repellants that, when applied to headlights, keeps snow and ice from accumulating, thus keeping drivers, passengers and other cars safe.

3. Store snacks under your car seat. This may sound counter-intuitive to a clean car, but keeping some food in a car during the winter helps in the rare instance of being stranded in a car marooned in a snowdrift. Cell phones have made it far easier for us to communicate in such situations, but it's certainly better to be safe than sorry.

4. Check walls and windows for air leaks and air duct ineffiency. Potential energy savings can amount to 5% to 30% over the year if leaks are caulked or spray-foamed. And with the harshest months of winter now upon us, any leaks will lead to either cold rooms or a furnace kicking into overdrive trying to compensate, thus costing homeowners money. Inefficient air ducts can also reduce energy efficiency during winter months by 20%—get them checked by a professional.

5. Fritos. Yes, you might be confused or you might be laughing—perhaps both. However, it seems that Fritos contain oils that are perfect kindling for starting a fire in the winter. Again, this requires that someone is stranded and in need of heat, so think about keeping some Fritos handy on the off chance you'll need to start a fire.

6. Ice-proof windows with vinegar. Mix one part vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle and coat your windows with the admixture at night to keep them from frosting up by morning. A theme is starting to develop here: Food + Winter = Preparadness.

7. Check your home for high radon levels. According to the EPA, 1 in 15 homes test for high radon levels during the winter months when windows remain shut and the gas accumulates. Radon, of course, is one of the leading causes of lung cancer, a good enough reason to be proactive on this front.

8. Stop squeaky windshield wipers. To do this all one needs is rubbing alcohol. Apply it to the windshield wipers before driving and one will not have to deal with squeaky wipers. Score! Don't drink it, though.

9.  Have these bag of goodies in your car at all times: Booster cables, Snow brush, Blanket, Traction mats, Warning flares or Flashlight triangles, Window-washing solvent, Towing cable, Cellular phone, Gloves or mittens.

10. Enjoy the winter! Find and engage in activities that get you outside and exercising, such as snow-shoeing (popular with a few people at Lakeside Painting), cross-country skiing, sledding (even adults can do this), downhill skiing and snowboarding, skating, etc.

*We also recommend having a dog with you at all times as company—it's essential.

In the latest installment of Lakeside Painting's Wallpaper of the Week, we take a look at The Wallpaper Collective's Sequoia-Wellington wallpaper. But first, a bit of information about The Wallpaper Collective.

The Collective was founded by Cindy Weil, and their website allows homeowners to easily browse some of the best wallpapers from coast-to-coast. Here we are intersted in the Sequoia-Wellington wallpaper, which has brown, pink and red color tones and a very beautiful and modern graphic pattern. The Wallpaper Collective classes this wallpaper as one of their eco-friendly products, which is great for environmentally-conscious consumers.

As The Wallpaper Collective website states, "Inspired by the imposing Sequoia Wellington of N.America, this cascading design has a lighter feel than its home forests. The signature cones form the focus of the pattern with the majestic stag glimpsing through the pine. Light vertical lines appear throughout the design along with delicate leaf sprigs. The paper has a real classical feel, but remains firmly designed in the now."

We here at Lakeside Painting believe that this design and color would work wonders in homes in the Milwaukee and Waukeha areas.

If you have any questions regarding wallpaper, feel free to contact Lakeside Painting at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

Lakeside Painting recently won an Angie's List 2011 Super Service Award.

Angie's List is a web service that compiles consumer ratings of local service companies and contractors in multiple cities across the United States. It's a great means of finding quality businesses for any home improvement project, whether its painting and wallcovering, carpentry, plumbing or electrical. You might consider joining because it's a great place to find great contractors. It's sort of built on the same theory as Yelp, for instance.

The Angie's List 2011 Super Service Award is given to those businesses dedicated quality craftmanship, and we at Lakeside are pleased to be acknowledged for our work in painting southeastern wisconsin homes and business.

In this week's installment of "Wallpaper of the Week," we take a look at Seabrook Designs' Linen Damask Wallpaper from the Maison Gallerie Collection.

The Linen Damask Wallpaper, created by Seabrook Designs as part of the Maison Gallerie Collection, features Black and Neutrals colors. It is vinyl-coated, washable, strippable and unpasted. The design as an aged or antique quality to it, as if the paper were found in a dust-encrusted room of an old Victoria house. The pattern is an ornate and beautiful design rendered in black. 

Damask is a reversible fabric made of either silk, linen, wool, cotton or synthetic fibers with a pattern woven onto it. Damasks date to the Middle Ages. 

This wallpaper would look best in a master bedroom or perhaps in a dining room. A homeowner with a desire for aesthetics might also have it hung in a study or library, depending on the desired look. It would also look rather fantastic hung on the walls of a shop that sells vintage furnishings, a cafe, restaurant, or a clothing store.

It's sold in a minimum of 2 single rolls that are physically packaged as 1 large double roll covering approximately 60 square feet (27 in. Wide x 27 ft. Long).

Check out last week's "Wallpaper of the Week," a paintable wallpaper from York Wallcoverings.

And if you have any questions about obtaining and hanging the Linen Damask Wallpaper in your home or office, 

Painting your child's home and, indeed, any room of a family home demands low or zero VOC paints. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds, organical chemicals with a high vapor pressure at normal room temperatures. Naturally, they are not good for the respiratory and circulatory systems of human beings. 

Low and Zero VOC paints can be found in most paint stores and from almost every paint manufacturer. At Lakeside Painting, we like to use Sherwin-Williams Harmony and Benjamin Moore Natura for zero VOC jobs. 

These paints, when applied by a paint professional, will keep you and your clan living healthy and chemical-free for years to come. It also has the added benefit of being environmentally-friendly, which is a cultural shift that many businesses and homes are undergoing these days.

If you have any further questions about buying zero VOC paints and their application, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.

In Lakeside Painting's latest installment of "Wallpaper of the Week" we take a look at York Wallcoverings paintable wallpaper.

In our "Wallpaper of the Week" series, we've mostly looked at a combination of colorful and vibrant or Victoria-era prints, but we've not not considered paintable wallpaper. Well, we've found one that we really like and it comes from York Wallcoverings, and we think it would be great for Wisconsin homeowners. 

The wallpaper is a floral design, but not the typical variety. It has a very classical but hypnotic quality about it. The flowers pop out at the viewer and have a great symmetry about them. 

The advantages of paintable wallpaper are many. First, it can add dimension to a room sorely lacking in this area. Paintable wallpaper is freize-like with molded and embossed patterns. Many prints have a Victorian or European design that can be highly satisfying and had at a fraction of the cost of expensive designer paper. The texture is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and delightful to touch (watch out for smudges, thoug!). And, if a homeowner decides to have the wallpaper painted, Lakeside Painting's craftsmen can really create great depth with colors, whether one or several. 

Get experimental. Use it to highlight a room if you don't want all four walls hung with the wallpaper. For instance, hang the painted wallpaper on one or two walls (leave it blank or paint it), while simply painting the other walls another color. Use it as a backsplash in your kitchen, or even outfit the entire kitchen in a painted wallpaper design. It also looks striking on a room's ceiling.

We think that painted wallpaper would look great in homes in the Milwaukee, Waukesha and Lake Geneva areas. 

If you have any further questions about painted wallpaper, or if you'd like an estimate for your next home project, feel free to give Lakeside Painting at 262.642.9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com

This past year Lakeside Painting completed work on an 8,000 square foot condominium in University Club Tower that featured interior design by William and Walter Koehnlein of Collaborative Design.

From the beginning, we worked with Bill and Walter, as well as Brian Link at Link Builds, from preliminary budgeting through to the final project.

University Club Tower is Milwaukee's third tallest building, and the condominium lies at one of the very top floors with a panoramic view of the Milwaukee shoreline.

Lakeside Painting was tasked with a variety of rooms, surfaces, angles and looks in order to compliment the condo owner's aesthetic vision, which called for a home fully integrated with the couple's art collection, which features works from the Italian Renaissance, as well as various sculptures, stained glass and antique furniture. In effect, the project was a total artistic experience, while creating a welcoming atmosphere instead of the feel of a museum.

As noted in M Magazine, the 8,000 square feet are built around an axis point from the main entry. Lakeside was tasked with painting the dining room, otherwise known as the Four Seasons Room, the kitchen, study, master suit, a library, billiards room, as well as sitting and guest rooms. Each room of the condo featured an enclosed terrace.

As Lakeside Painting President Joe Pangburn notes, "The painted woodwork, including some striking dental and stacked crown moldings, were completed with four coats of semi-gloss enamel. We stained and finished other areas of woodwork using dyes and high-end conversation varnish systems."

"We painted walls and ceilings some of which have as many as seven coats of hand-rubbed lacquer," states Pangburn. "We installed beautiful murals in the guest and master bathrooms. Most of the walls are covered with very delicate and stunningly beautiful silk wallcovering. We coated some of the cabinets with pigmented conversation varnish, then glazed them to bring out the architectural details of the custom millwork."

Speaking of the silk wallcovering, Pangburn said, "It was the most difficult part of the project. The silk wallcovering was delicate and needed to be handled very carefully. Silk can stain if you get paste or water on the face of it because it's a dry hanging paper. But, it's beautiful. It changes colors as you walk down the hall. It has an almost irridescent quality—deep golds and reds appear depending on the passerby's point-of-view."

Lakeside also did work on the ceilings, which were mostly plaster Venetian Plaster buffed to a high gloss.

The project was a pleasure to be part of and we are proud of the work we accomplished here.

Sound tricky? The project was certainly full of its challenges, but it was a completely rewarding experience—a credit to the vision of William Koehnlein and the owners.

To read more about the project, head over to M Magazine's feature.

[Images via M Magazine]

In Lakeside Painting's latest installment of "Wallpaper of the Week," we take a look at Basso & Brooke's wallpaper Chinoise: Blue & Gold.

Bruno Basso & Christopher Brooke are the pioneers of the digital print process in fashion. In fact, the designers have a piece archived in the Metropolitan Museum of New York’s Costume Institute—the first digitally printed piece in their permanent collection. Indeed, they've been called "the Pixar of of clothes."

For those looking to get some of their cutting edge design inside their homes, they can now do so because the duo teamed with Graham & Brown to launch their first wallpaper collection, which is full of bold patterns and dynamic colors. 

The design we have to today is Chinoise: Blue & Gold, which is a blue wallpaper arranged in an exotic floral fattern of far east flower. As the Graham & Brown website notes, the wallpaper is paste the wall, so it hangs in half the time of normal decorating. The design is also available in seven other colors.

This wallpaper would be perfect for those homeowners with more artistic inclinations.